Nautical Engineer Sentenced to 60 Days in Prison for GH₵86,000 German Visa Fraud
A 56-year-old nautical engineer, Richie Susu Awu, has been sentenced to 60 days imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court after being found guilty of defrauding by false pretenses.
Awu was convicted on three counts of fraud, with the court imposing a 60-day sentence for each count to run concurrently. The case involved GH₵86,000, which Awu collected from three individuals in 2021 under the pretense of securing German visas but failed to deliver.
During sentencing, the presiding judge, Mr. Isaac Addo, considered Awu’s status as a first-time offender and the partial repayment of GH₵30,000 to the victims. However, he emphasized the growing prevalence of visa fraud in the court’s jurisdiction and the calculated manner in which Awu carried out his scheme.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer, presented five witnesses to support their case. Awu, who represented himself, did not call any witnesses.
The court heard that the three complainants—Jackson Mensah, a Mobile Money agent; Ernest Opoku, a farmer; and Kwarteng Kwasi Cyprin, unemployed—were introduced to Awu through a series of connections. Mensah, who expressed interest in traveling abroad, had been referred to Awu by an intermediary.
In October 2021, the complainants traveled from Sefwi to Accra to meet Awu at Achimota. During their meetings, Awu displayed purported visas he claimed to have secured for others, convincing the complainants to pay fees of GH₵24,000, GH₵24,000, and GH₵30,400, respectively, with the promise of delivering German visas within three weeks.
Awu failed to fulfill his promise and continually reassured the victims that the process was underway. On February 25, 2022, he brought the complainants to the Kotoka International Airport, claiming they were scheduled to depart for Germany. After stalling for hours, Awu told them they had missed their flight and needed to reschedule.
Suspicious of his behavior, the complainants reported the matter to the police. Awu was arrested on March 4, 2022, and admitted to collecting the money but failing to secure the visas. He was granted police bail but later jumped bail and refused to cooperate with authorities.
Awu was eventually rearrested in connection with a similar visa fraud case at Tesano Police Station. His sentencing marks the conclusion of this case, with the judge warning of the need for stricter measures to address visa fraud in the country.