Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 11 October 2006

Source: GNA

Drowning Lawyer hands over his tormentor

Accra, Oct. 11, GNA - A Legal Practitioner, Kwaku Nsia, who was accused of defrauding a US-based Ghanaian businessman of 16,000 dollars with the promise to secure him US visa for his children, has handed over to the Police the Middleman, who took the monies.

The Middleman, Ekow Davis was said to have collected 11,000 dollars from Nsia. Davis was put before an Accra Circuit Court on Wednesday charged with defrauding by false pretences. The Court did not take Davis' plea but remanded him into Police custody to reappear on October 20.

The case of Prosecution was that on October 4, 2006, Nsia with the assistance of the Madina Police arrested Davis to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service that he had collected 11,000 dollars from him with the intent of securing two American visas.

Prosecution said Davis could not honour his promise and in his caution statement admitted the offence.

Davis, however, explained that he gave the said monies to one Cosmos, who secured a forged visa for Nsiah's friend's ward known as Prosper Kwabena Agyei.

On September 28, 2006 Nsiah appeared before the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal charged with defrauding by false pretence but he pleaded not guilty.

He was given self-cognisance bail to reappear on November 3, 2006, to enable him to pay substantial amount of the money to the Court. Nsia is also a Pastor of the Prevailing Prayer Ministries International and the author of a book entitled "Prayers That Will Send Your Enemies Packing by Fire." He also hosts religious programmes on a local FM radio station.

Counsel for Nsia prayed the Court that "we will be making weekly payments to the Court".

In April 2005, Nsia attended a conference in the United States, where he met Mr Anthony Gamin, a Ghanaian resident in the US. DSP Abraham said Nsia suggested to Mr Gyamfi that he could secure an American visa for any of his relatives in Ghana. It was agreed that Mr Gyamfi would send money to Nsia for the necessary documents for his two children.

After allegedly processing the visa he made photocopies and sent it to Mr Gyamfi to claim the money.

In December 2005, 16,000 dollars was wired to him for the process. The Prosecution said on January 26, 2006, Nsia presented a Ghanaian Passport number H1608933 with an American visa for Prosper Kwabena Agyei, one of Mr Gyamfi's children, to board a North American Airline flight to the US.

However, Agyei was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport for possessing forged travel documents.

DSP Abraham said the case was reported and Nsia was invited to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Police Headquarters, where he admitted collecting the money and pleaded with the Police to allow him to refund the money. However, he failed to honour his promise. Nsia also promised to defray some of the money by giving documents covering two plots of land at Botianor but upon inquiry at the Lands Commission it was detected that the proposed land was State property. 11 Oct. 06