Businessman Jailed 24 Months for GH¢180,000 Visa Fraud

The Dansoman Circuit Court has sentenced a 29-year-old businessman, Charles Komla Asigbey, to 24 months imprisonment for defrauding seven persons of GH¢180,000 under the pretext of securing visas for them to travel abroad.

The court, presided over by Her Honour Nancy Teiko Searyoh, handed down the sentence after the accused pleaded guilty to the offence of defrauding by false pretences, contrary to Section 131 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

Chief Inspector Kwadwo Aboagye, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the Republic, told the court that the accused collected money from the complainants with the promise of facilitating visas to Canada, Japan and Australia, but failed to fulfil the promise.

According to him, Asigbey, during September 2025 in Accra, with intent to defraud, obtained the consent of Kenneth Adu Gyamfi, Dauda Mohammed, Ebenezer Billa, Godwin Teku, Mujeed Mashood, Sani Azeem and Haruna Isaah to part with various sums of money totaling GH¢180,000 by falsely claiming he could secure visas for them.

Prosecution said the representation was false and the accused knew it to be untrue at the time he made it.

Brief facts

Presenting the facts, Chief Inspector Aboagye said the complainants, who are public and self-employed persons residing in Kumasi and Accra, paid the money to the accused after he assured them he could facilitate their travel documents within four months.

However, the accused failed to honour the agreement and went into hiding, ignoring calls from the victims.

Prosecution said on March 22, 2026, at about 7:30 pm, the accused was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport, Accra, while preparing to travel outside the country.

During investigations, Asigbey admitted the offence in his cautioned statement and disclosed that he gave GH¢20,000 to a travel and tour company known as Prime Workforce Company at Kasoa to process the visas, but used the remaining GH¢160,000 to establish a bakery business for himself.

Sentence

The court sentenced the accused to 24 months imprisonment. The complainants were advised to pursue civil action to recover their monies after the convict serves his prison term.

 

 

 

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