A 46-year-old self-employed man, Wilfred Amesika, has been granted bail to the tune of GH¢60,000 with three sureties after being arraigned before the Dansoman Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a woman under the pretext of securing her a visa to Germany.
Amesika, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding by false pretences, is accused of taking GH¢50,000 from one Cynthia Awuni under the guise of facilitating a German visa for her. The charge is contrary to Section 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
As part of the bail conditions, two of the sureties must be public servants and one must be justified. The accused has also been ordered to deposit his Ghana Card with the court registry and report to the police every two weeks until the case is concluded.
The court, presided over by Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, directed Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder to file all disclosures and witness statements ahead of the next hearing.
The case has been adjourned to June 16, 2025.
Case Background
According to police investigators, the complainant, Cynthia Awuni, is a hairdresser who was residing in South Africa in August 2024 when she expressed interest in relocating to Germany to join her fiancé. She discussed her intentions with a friend, who introduced her to the accused.
Upon being assured by Amesika that he could facilitate the visa, Awuni returned to Ghana and began the process with him. The accused demanded GH¢60,000 and collected GH¢50,000 as an initial payment. He promised to deliver the visa within a month.
Amesika reportedly gave the complainant documents to present at the Netherlands Embassy. However, she was turned away after embassy officials said her documents could not be found in their system. A second attempt at the French Embassy also failed under similar circumstances.
When the complainant confronted Amesika and requested a refund, he allegedly went into hiding and ignored her calls. She reported the matter to the police on April 23, 2025. With the help of her relatives, a decoy visa transaction was set up, which led to the accused surfacing and being arrested.
During investigations, Amesika admitted receiving the money but claimed he spent it on requirements related to the visa process—not the visa itself. He was subsequently charged and brought before the court.
