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Immigration officials nab Nigerian Fraudster
Accra, July 2, Ghanadot/GNA - Ghana Immigration officials
have arrested a 29-year-old Nigerian, Richard Austin Chidi
Ebere, who lured two Vietnamese into Ghana and attempted to
dupe them of a further 13,000 dollars after collecting
various sums from them previously.
Ebere who uses a Ghanaian Passport bearing his picture with
the name Azu Annan, had been operating in the country for
the past three years from a rented four-bedroom house at
Taifa, which had only a students’ mattress.
Briefing the media, Mr Moses Kwabena Gyamfi, Acting Deputy
Director of Operations at the GIS, said investigations
revealed that Ebere and his accomplices started
communicating with the Vietnamese in March this year, when
he claimed to be a businessman with a company known as
‘Achilarbi Mines Limited’.
He said Ebere got the Vietnamese into Ghana and hired a lady
to pick them up at the Airport to Wangara Hotel in Accra
where they gave her 13,000 dollars for Ebere.
However the lady panicked and informed the hotel
authorities, who took custody of the money and informed the
Immigration Service, leading to the arrest of Ebere.
Mr Gyamfi said investigations so far with the Vietnamese
indicated that they had so far transferred 100,000 dollars
to Ebere and his gang.
He said Ebere claimed he was acting on behalf of the
Millennium Challenge Authority and that he had close links
with Finance Minister Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu.
Mr Gyamfi said Ebere dubiously set up a meeting at Maglab
Hotel in Accra where some people, posing as government
officials, attended and that two contracts were signed at
the meeting.
The contracts covered a seven-million-dollar deal for the
supply of gold by Ebere’s company and the supply of computer
desks to the Millennium Challenge Authority.
Mr Gyamfi said documents sent to the Vietnamese by Ebere and
his accomplices included a fake bio-data page of Mr
Baah-Wiredu's passport, his ministerial identity card and
pictures showing him signing a contract.
Others are a fake document from the Millennium Development
Authority, a fake clearance/confirmation by the Ghana Police
Service and a Ghana Tender Board document supposedly issued
from the Office of the President.
Mr Gyamfi warned the public on the operation of fraudsters,
especially in forging of official documents, and cautioned
foreigners wishing to do business in Ghana to be wary of
transactions over the internet.
"We particularly wish to caution about entry Visas supposed
to have been issued by the GIS. We appeal to the Foreign
Missions in Ghana to caution their citizens to be cautious
about the mouth-watering deals in Ghana."
Mr Gyamfi advised landlords to be careful when renting out
their properties to foreigners, adding that when in doubt
they could cross-check with the Immigration Service.
He tasked hotels and other hospitality service providers to
furnish the GIS with particulars of foreigners lodging with
them in other to help stem the crime wave.
He also urged the banks to clear with the Service before
opening account for foreigners, adding that with the
emerging oil industry, the country would receive an influx
of foreigners and fraudsters.
GNA
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