Woman Remanded for Allegedly Defrauding Insurance Officer of GH₵265,000

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded 45-year-old Faustina Foli into police custody for allegedly defrauding an insurance officer of GHC265,000.

Foli, an unemployed woman, is accused of deceiving the complainant, Daniel Acquay, an insurance officer, by promising to secure United States and Canadian visas but failing to deliver. She has been charged with defrauding by false pretenses and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court, presided over by Isaac Addo, rejected a bail application filed by Foli’s defense lawyer, Chris Akummey, after the prosecution raised objections. The prosecution argued that Foli had previously jumped bail after being granted bail by the Weija Circuit Court. They also highlighted that Foli had allegedly committed a similar offense while on bail, leading to her re-arrest.

In response, Akummey asked the court to reconsider the bail request, denying the prosecution’s claim that Foli was a Togolese national. He clarified that Foli was from the Volta Region and had family members present in court. Akummey further argued that Foli had committed the offense without fully understanding its consequences and pleaded for her release, as she had been in custody for over 10 days.

The court, however, sided with the prosecution and denied bail. The judge ordered that the prosecution file its disclosures within two weeks. The case has been adjourned to December 24, 2024.

The prosecution outlined that Foli approached Acquay in October 2024, claiming that her fiancé, Charles Agbele, worked at the Canadian High Commission and could facilitate the issuance of Canadian and US visas at a reduced cost. She showed Acquay copies of Canadian visas, which she claimed had been obtained by Agbele for other applicants.

Trusting her, Acquay handed over various sums of money totaling GHC265,000 for the visas of his daughter and three relatives. However, after receiving the money and passports, Foli went into hiding, and all attempts to contact her proved unsuccessful.

Acquay later reported the matter to the police, suspecting fraud. In her caution statement, Foli admitted to collecting the money and stated that she was instructed by Charles Agbele to give the funds to a person named “Kojo.” However, she failed to provide the police with any useful information about Kojo, and investigations are ongoing.

Further investigations are being conducted to verify whether Agbele is indeed employed at the Canadian High Commission. Foli initially claimed to be a Togolese national, but a Ghana Card was found during a search, and it was discovered that she did not have a fixed address.