The Dansoman Circuit Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of 70-year-old businessman, Adams Afful.
He is accused of defrauding trader Lantana Sani of GH¢20,000 under false pretense.
The court presided over by Her Honour Halima El-Alawa Abdul Baasit issued the arrest warrant after Afful failed to appear in court on two occasions, once in September and again on October 16, 2024.
Afful faces charges of defrauding by false pretence, in violation of Section 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
The charges stem from an incident on January 10, 2024, when Afful allegedly convinced Sani to pay GH¢20,000 by falsely claiming he could expedite an interview at the U.S. Embassy.
Details
According to Chief Inspector Nyarko, Sani, a trader from New Fadama, Accra, was introduced to Afful by a mutual friend, Eric Nyame.
During their meetings, Afful claimed to have a daughter in the U.S. and offered to help Sani’s daughter, Suwab Bawa, obtain a visa.
Afful facilitated the initial visa application process, securing an interview date for October 9, 2024.
However, he insisted that the date was too far off and claimed he could reschedule it sooner, demanding GH¢20,000 for his services.
After handing over the money, Sani found that Afful did not fulfill his promise.
After multiple unsuccessful attempts to retrieve her funds, Sani reported the incident to the authorities, leading to Afful’s investigation and arrest.
During questioning, Afful admitted to the offense and promised to refund the money within a month, but he failed to do so.
Following the investigation, Afful was charged and brought before the court.
His continued absence resulted in the issuance of the bench warrant, which remains active as the court awaits further developments in the case.
