A UK-based Ghanaian lawyer, Gideon Amponsah Okai, has pleaded not guilty to charges of defrauding by false pretence and forgery of documents, when he appeared before Circuit Court 11 in Accra, presided over by Her Honour Basilia Adjei-Tawiah.
The accused, 37, was granted bail in the sum of GH₵50,000 with three sureties — two of whom must justify with evidence of employment and earnings of not less than GH₵5,000.
The case has been adjourned to September 29, 2025.
Gideon, who was described in the charge sheet as a ‘Revenue Officer’, was represented in court by lawyer Nuhu Dinor, who held brief for counsel Baba Jamal.
Mr. Dinor objected to the characterisation, insisting that his client is in fact a qualified legal practitioner based in the United Kingdom and not a revenue officer as stated by the prosecution.
According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Edina Edhe Aninga, the complainant, Marjorie Lamptey, an administrator residing in Amasaman, Accra, was introduced to the accused in October 2022 by a mutual acquaintance based in the UK.
The accused allegedly claimed he could assist her in obtaining a UK work permit visa due to his professional connections as a legal practitioner.
Following their communication, the accused reportedly charged the complainant £10,000 for the visa process, demanding an initial payment of £6,800.
The complainant, through a witness named Tenkorang Romeo, paid £4,300 into an offshore account provided by the accused, followed by a cash payment of £2,500 during a meeting at Weija, Accra.
Shortly thereafter, Gideon allegedly sent documents purportedly issued by “London Education International Limited” to suggest the visa process was ongoing.
However, the complainant became suspicious about the authenticity of the documents and reported the matter to the police.
A subsequent investigation by the Document Fraud Expert Centre of the Ghana Immigration Service confirmed the documents were indeed fake.
The accused was arrested without a warrant and a caution statement was taken, in which he acknowledged receiving £2,500 from the complainant.
