Crime & Punishment of Friday, 10 July 2015

Source: Daily Guide

Fake BNI officer nabbed over visa fraud

Christopher Anafo in police custody Christopher Anafo in police custody

The Accra Central District police have arrested a 37-year-old electrical technician who allegedly paraded himself as an officer from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and succeeded in defrauding three victims to the tune of GHc10,000 under the pretext of securing them a Canadian and Panama visas.

Christopher Anafo was apprehended after police mounted a search for him two years ago. He is now in custody assisting in investigations.

Briefing DAILY GUIDE, the Accra Central Crime Officer, DSP Kwame Owusu Sekyere, said the victims reported the matter to the police two years ago that Anafo had collected GHc10,000 from them to secure them visas.

According to the victims, they met the suspect at Parliament House where he introduced himself to them as a BNI official and that he could assist them get visas to Dubai, Panama and Canada.

To further prove that he was a ‘BNI official,’ the victims said Christopher Anafo took them to the offices of the BNI at the 37 Military Hospital area in Accra.

After collecting the money, he allegedly brought two of the victims a Panama visa which later turned out to be fake.

Realizing that they had been defrauded, the victims went to the BNI office to look for him but he was nowhere to be found.

Victims then went to the military police to report the matter before further reporting it to the police.

Anafo was apprehended on Wednesday, July 8, 2015 in front of the Accra Central Police Station upon a tip-off.

He has been provisionally charged with the offence of impersonation and defrauding by false pretences and would be sent to court soon.