Two arraigned before Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding trader GHC45,000 in fake Canadian visa deal

Two individuals, Isaac Abaidoo, a social worker, and Florence Mensah, a trader, have been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a trader of GHC45,000 under the pretext of securing her a Canadian visa.

The accused persons have been jointly charged with conspiracy to commit a crime in 2023, while Abaidoo faces an additional charge of defrauding by false pretences. They both pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Presiding Judge Mrs Susana Eduful granted each accused bail in the sum of GHC50,000 with two sureties, one of whom must be justified with title deed documents.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Godwin Wemegah told the court that the complainant, Mavis Tagoe, a trader from Bukom, was introduced to Abaidoo and Mensah by her brother after expressing interest in travelling abroad.

Initially, the accused promised to secure a New Zealand work permit visa within a month and collected GHC30,000, which was handed over to Mensah. Three months later, Abaidoo claimed there were challenges with the New Zealand process and instead proposed a Canadian visa, demanding an additional GHC15,000.

Mensah assured Tagoe that the visa would be ready within two months, but after receiving the full payment, the two failed to deliver and went into hiding. Multiple attempts to locate them proved unsuccessful, prompting Tagoe to file a complaint with the LAPD, which led to their arrest.

During investigations, both Abaidoo and Mensah admitted to the offence, according to the prosecution.