The Dansoman Circuit Court is hearing a case involving three inmates—two on remand and one serving a prison sentence—who are accused of defrauding a Ghanaian woman based in the United States of GH¢195,000 under the pretext of securing a U.S. visa for her son.
The accused individuals are Joana Obeng, 35, a hairdresser; Evans Kwaku Gyan, 47, a driver; and Augustin Yeboah, also known as Charles, 36, also a driver. They allegedly worked together to deceive the victim, Emmanuel Arko, a student living in Berekum in the Bono Region.
The case is being presided over by Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit at the Dansoman Circuit Court. Joana Obeng (identified as the first accused) and Evans Gyan (the third accused) are currently on remand in connection with other fraud-related cases before courts in Awutu and Accra respectively. Both pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and defrauding by false pretences.
Despite being held in custody for separate offences, the two have been granted bail of GH¢200,000 each, with the condition that the amount be justified by three public servants. They are also required to deposit their Ghana Cards with the court registry and report to the police every two weeks.
The second accused, Augustin Yeboah, is currently serving a 15-year sentence at Nsawam Maximum Prison for previous convictions of fraud and theft. His plea has not yet been taken, as the court has issued a warrant for him to be brought before it. The matter has been adjourned to July 7, 2025.
Inside the Alleged Scam
According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder, the complainant, Maa Vida, is a Ghanaian woman living in the United States. She reportedly connected with one of the accused, now identified as a convicted fraudster, through Facebook. The accused had advertised visa assistance services and promised to help her son, Emmanuel Arko, secure a visa to join her in the U.S.
As part of the scam, the accused provided the contact number 0500481533, which police later confirmed was registered in Joana Obeng’s name. In January 2025, Obeng met Arko at the Accra Mall, collected his passport, and allegedly received a series of cash payments amounting to GH¢195,000 through mobile money transfers. These transactions were made using multiple accounts all linked to Obeng’s Ghana Card.
Shortly after receiving the money, Obeng reportedly went silent. The contact number provided became unreachable, and she was nowhere to be found. Police investigations later uncovered a network of fraud involving the three accused.
It emerged that Gyan and Yeboah had previously rented a room at Lashibi for Obeng. Gyan, known to have introduced Obeng under the alias “Nana Kwadwo,” played a key role in setting her up in the area. In her cautioned statement, Obeng admitted operating several Telecel and MTN mobile money numbers to collect funds from unsuspecting victims. She also named Gyan as an accomplice, claiming he helped her collect and redirect the funds to Yeboah.
The money trail showed that funds sent to Obeng were later transferred through mobile number 0538871472, which was registered to a woman named Anita Adjei. Investigators believe this account was used as an intermediary by both Gyan and Yeboah.
While Gyan denied any personal relationship with Obeng, he confirmed that he had received funds from numbers associated with her. Obeng, however, identified him in the presence of police officers and maintained that he collected money on behalf of Yeboah.
With the accused giving conflicting statements and further inquiries ongoing, the court is yet to reach a verdict. If convicted, the suspects could face substantial penalties under Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), specifically under Sections 23(1) and 131(1), which address conspiracy and defrauding by false pretences.
