‘Deputy consular’ at Botswana Consulate granted bail for allegedly defrauding three persons

The Deputy Consular of the Botswana Consulate in Accra has been granted bail for allegedly swindling three persons with the promise of processing their visa to the United States. 

An Accra Circuit Court granted Nana Adwoa Frimpong bail in the sum of GH₵50,000 with two sureties.

She pleaded not guilty to counts of defrauding by false pretense when her charges were read to her at the court presided over by Emmanuel Essandoh.

The facts of the case as presented by the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Samuel Ahiabor was that the complainants are; Shadrack Kojo Yamey, Isaac Kobina Obeng and Joshua Lanor Adjetey.

The prosecution lead said the accused, Nana Adwoa Frimpong, told her victims that she is the Deputy Consular at Botswana Consulate and lives at Tantra Hills in Accra.

The first complainant (Shadrack Kojo Yamey), in 2018, wanted to travel to the United States of America and, therefore, fell on one Tina Augustina Ocansey.

According to Chief Inspector Ahiabor, Madam Ocansey had promised to process travelling documents for the first complainant through Norway to the United States of America.

But in mid-October 2019, the accused person, Nana Adwoa Frimpong contacted the first complainant and told him that his passport was brought to her.

The accused said she was calling to inform him that she has a protocol visa slot from the Jubilee House that will help him travel to the USA through Botswana.

The accused then lured the first complainant to her office at Botswana Consulate where she collected GH₵ 14,000.00 from him with an assurance that by October 20, 2019, his visa will be ready.

Chief Inspector Ahiabor said the first complainant became convinced and later introduced the second and third complainants.

The ‘new entrants’ paid GH₵18,000.00 and GH₵11,620.00 to the accused to process their documents.

To further strengthen the process for the unsuspecting victims, the accused person made the first complainant undergo medical examination as part of his preparations to travel.

She assured the complainant that the visa would be ready in February this year.

However, a victim of the scam, who is a prosecution witness, George, was deported from Botswana for travelling with fake documents in February this year.

When George returned to Ghana, the accused person went into hiding and refused to pick calls from all the complainants.

A complaint was then lodged to the police and she was arrested and charged with the offence after investigations.

She is reappearing on July 13, 2020.