A bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of a 70-year-old businessman, Adams Afful, who stands accused of defrauding a trader, Lantana Sani, of GH¢20,000 under false pretences.
The Dansoman Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Halima El-Alawa Abdul Baasit, issued the warrant after the accused failed to appear in court on two occasions, first in September and again on October 16, 2024.
The case was presented by Chief Inspector Nyarko and the warrant remains in force.
Adams Afful has been charged with defrauding by false pretence, contrary to Section 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
The specific charge relates to an incident that occurred on January 10, 2024, when Afful allegedly convinced the complainant, Lantana Sani, to part with GH¢20,000 by falsely claiming that he could influence the rescheduling of an interview at the U.S. embassy.
Case Details
According to the facts presented in court, the complainant, Lantana Sani, a trader residing in New Fadama, Accra, was introduced to the accused by Eric Nyame, a close friend of Afful.
The accused had claimed to have a daughter in the United States and discussed the possibility of finding someone to take care of her children.
In January 2024, Afful, with the help of Nyame, met with Sani at her home and proposed assisting her daughter, Suwab Bawa, with obtaining a visa.
Afful led Bawa to the U.S. Embassy and purchased a visa processing form, securing an interview date for October 9, 2024.
However, Afful told the complainant that the date was too far and claimed to know someone at the embassy, who could reschedule it to an earlier date, for which he demanded GH¢20,000.
Sani handed over the money, but Afful failed to honour his promise.
After several unsuccessful attempts to recover the money, Sani reported the matter to the authorities, leading to Afful’s arrest.
During the investigation, Afful admitted to the offence and promised to refund the money within a month but failed to do so.
Following the investigation, Afful was charged and brought before the court. However, his repeated failure to appear led to the issuance of the bench warrant.
The warrant remains in effect as the court awaits the next steps in the case.
