An Accra Circuit Court presided over by His Honour Isaac Addo, has granted bail to 33-year-old businessman Ernest Ackon, set at GH₵900,000 with two sureties.
Ackon faces serious charges for allegedly attempting to defraud Ambrose Ansah by obtaining £60,000 under false pretenses.
The charges stem from an incident in February 2024, when Ackon reportedly convinced Ansah that he could secure Certificates of Sponsorship (COS) for Ansah’s eleven clients.
It is alleged that Ackon forged a COS, with certificate number C2GIFO825IS, in the name of Gyimah Halifax Kwabena.
The prosecution, led by ASP Anane and assisted by ASP Frimpong, presented evidence that Ambrose Ansah, a businessman residing in the United Kingdom, was introduced to Ackon as a travel consultant capable of assisting with UK visa applications.
Ackon claimed he had successfully secured COS for others and charged £13,000 for each COS.
He requested an initial payment of £10,000, with an additional £3,000 due upon delivery of the documents. Ansah complied, paying £23,000 initially.
However, after receiving two COS documents, Ansah was asked for further payments before the remaining documents were released.
In total, he paid Ackon £60,000. When Ansah applied for UK visas using the documents, the applications were rejected due to the documents being deemed fraudulent.
Subsequently, the matter was reported to the police, leading to Ackon’s arrest.
In his cautioned statement, he maintained the authenticity of the documents.
Verification from the Document Fraud Expert Centre of the Ghana Immigration Service confirmed that the COS was forged.
Ackon has been charged with defrauding by false pretenses, contrary to Section 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and forgery of documents, contrary to Section 159(1) of the same Act.
The court is set to continue hearings on November 19, 2024.
