Visa deal lands teacher in trouble

A Sunyani Circuit Court has remanded in custody Kwame Bonya, a 25-year-old teacher of Twene Amanfo Secondary Technical School in Sunyani for defrauding six persons of millions of cedis under the pretext of helping them to secure United States visas. His plea was not taken on the two counts of defrauding by false pretences and possessing fake documents and would reappear on July 4.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Alex Yartey Tawiah told the court that the victims approached Bonya about three months ago to assist them to acquire visas and the accused collected 30.7 million cedis, 700 Dollars, their passports and passport sized photographs. The accused told the victims that he had sent the money to one Richard Koomson (connection man) in Accra for processing. Mr Tawiah said the victims later heard that Koomson had sent the money and the documents back to the accused as the deal had failed. The victims confronted Bonya, who confirmed the development and promised to return the money and the documents to them.

The Prosecutor said efforts to retrieve the monies and documents proved futile so the victims reported the matter to the Police who upon his arrest found fake documents on him.

The court also remanded Prosper Laabi, a 21 year-old student of Don Bosco Vocational and Technical School at Odumase, near Sunyani, for defiling a 13 year-old girl. His plea was not taken and would reappear on July 4.

Police Inspector Setina Aboagye said the accused visited his friend, a brother of the girl, on June 14 but he was absent. The accused then asked the victim to accompany him to find the brother but on their way he lured her into his room and sexually abused her. The accused warned her not to inform anybody about the ordeal but when she got sick and was questioned by her mother she spilled the beans.