A pastor was on Friday arraigned before the Dansoman Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a businessman of GH¢310,000 under the pretext of securing visas for him and his family.
Cris Karl Ofori is accused of collecting the amount from the complainant, Amadu Seidu, with the promise of assisting him with visa acquisition.
Charged with defrauding by false pretences, he pleaded not guilty.
The court granted Mr. Ofori bail in the sum of GH¢350,000 with three sureties. Two of the sureties must be public servants earning not less than GH¢5,000, while the third must justify the bail with a title deed. The case has been adjourned to April 25, 2025.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Kwadwo Aboagye, told the court that the complainant, a resident of Sampa in the Bono Region, intended to travel to Canada with his family to resettle.
In 2023, he discussed this with one Nana Abena Sika, who introduced him to the accused as someone who could assist with the visa process.
Prosecution said the accused subsequently collected various sums from the complainant, totaling GH¢310,000.
Later, Mr. Ofori informed the complainant that the Canadian visa application was unsuccessful but claimed to have secured visas for the United Kingdom instead.
Based on this, he invited the complainant and his family to Accra to prepare for their supposed trip.
However, upon their arrival, the accused went into hiding for three days and could not be reached.
Realizing they had been deceived, the complainant and his family returned to Sampa and reported the matter to the police at James Town. The accused was later arrested from his hideout.
In his caution statement, Ofori admitted to the offence, according to the prosecution.