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Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 27 February 2020

Source: thechronicle.com

Businesswoman granted GHC1m bail in alleged visa fraud case

The suspect defrauded others by false pretence The suspect defrauded others by false pretence

An Accra Circuit Court has granted a GHC 1 million bail with four sureties to a businesswoman, Anne Tamakloe, who is being accused of defrauding another businesswoman, Dora Boamah, in the sum of US$178,500, equivalent to GHC999,600.

Anne Tamakloe allegedly promised Madam Boamah that she had worked with the US Embassy in Ghana for over three decades and can secure ‘frozen’ visa for interested persons.


Madam Boamah got to know Anne Tamakloe and her supposed visa dealings through a friend, Agnes Abebrese, whose offence of conspiracy to commit crime was later withdrawn.

Contained in a fact sheet read by the Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Barnor, in the court presided His Lordship Emmanuel Essanor, Madam Boamah, as a result, fronted for 51 others.

Anne Tamakloe, upon the receipt of the money and the 51 Ghanaian passports, assured the complainant that the visas would be ready in August 2019 but failed to deliver.
The complainant, upon persistant efforts to get the visas, which did not come, reported the issue to the police.

On January 11, 2019, Anne Tamakloe was arrested. She admitted the offence in her caution statement and returned all the 51 Ghanaian passports, but failed to refund the total sum of $178,500.
Anne Tamakloe, now the first accused, was charged with conspiracy to defraud by false pretences.

Her offence was that between May/June 2019, at New Achimota in the Greater Accra Region and within the jurisdiction of the court, did agree and acted together with a common purpose to commit crime, to wit, defrauding by false pretences, Act 1960 (ACT 29).

Agnes Abebrese’ offence was dropped because her counsel, Francis Xavier Sosu, challenged the accusation levelled against her, which the court upheld.
Brief Facts read in court by the Prosecutor, Complainant Dora Boamah is a businesswoman at Makola, Accra, the first accused person, Anne Tamakloe, is also a business woman resident in Kasoa, whilst the 2nd accused person is unemployed and resident at New Achimota, Accra.

In the month of April 2019, the first accused person visited her friend, Agnes Abebrese, who is the second accused person.

During their conversation, the first accused person made the second believe there was a type of visa called ‘frozen visa’ at the American Embassy, which she could facilitate in its acquisition.

The 2nd accused person became convinced, so she also informed the complainant who had come to visit her. The complainant became interested and requested to meet the 1st accused person for assistance.

The 2nd accused person then gave out the contact number of the 1st accused person to the complainant, who contacted her for assistance.
Between the month of May and June 2019, the complainant gave out 51 Ghanaian passports and cash in the sum of $178,500, equivalent to GHC999,600 to the 1st accused person for the ‘frozen visas’.

The 1st accused person, upon receipt of the money and the 51 Ghanaian passports, assured the complainant that the visas would be ready din August 2019, but failed.

The complainant, upon persistent efforts to get the visas in vain reported the issue to the police.

On 01/11/2019, the 1st accused person was arrested. She admitted the offence in her caution statement and returned all the 51 Ghanaian passports but failed to refund the total sum of $178,500 equivalent to GHC999,600.

On 24/02/2020, the 2nd accused person was also arrested but denied in her caution statement the allegation of conspiring with the 1st accused person to defraud the complainant.

After investigations, both were charged with the offences and arraigned before the court.