Lawyer-Pastor defrauds US-based Ghanaian

Accra, Sept. 28, GNA - A Legal Practitioner, who allegedly defrauded a US-based Ghanaian businessman of an amount of 16,000 dollars with the promise to secure him US visa for his children, on Thursday appeared before the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal.

Kwaku Nsia, who was charged with defrauding by false pretence, pleaded not guilty and was given self-cognisance bail to reappear on November 3 to enable him to pay substantial amount of the money to the Court.

Nsia is also a Pastor of the Prevailing Prayer Ministries International and the author of a book entitled "Prayers That Will Send Your Enemies Packing by Fire." He also hosts religious programmes of a local FM radio station.

Counsel for Nsia prayed the Court that 93we will be making weekly payments to the Court.=94

The Prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kofi Abraham told the Court that in April 2005, Nsia attended a conference in the United States, where he met Mr Anthony Gyamfi, a Ghanaian resident in the US.

DSP Abraham said Nsia suggested to Mr Gyamfi that he could secure an American visa for any of his relatives in Ghana. It was agreed that Mr Gyamfi would send money to Nsia for the necessary documents for his two children.

After allegedly processing the visa he made photocopies and sent it to Mr Gyamfi to claim the money. In December 2005, 16,000 dollars was wired to him for the process.

The Prosecution said on January 26, 2006, Nsia presented a Ghanaian Passport number H1608933 with an American visa for Prosper Kwabena Agyei, one of Mr Gyamfi's children, to board a North American Airline flight to the US.

However, Agyei was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport for possessing forged travel documents.

DSP Abraham said the case was reported and Nsia was invited to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Police Headquarters, where he admitted collecting the money and pleaded with the Police to allow him to refund the money. However, he failed to honour his promise. Nsia also promised to defray some of the money by giving documents covering two plots of land at Botianor but upon inquiry at the Lands Commission it was detected that the proposed land was State property.