Celebrated Comedian
Kofi Adu popularly known as Agya Koo has been arrested by the Anti-Human
Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID)
Headquarters in Accra.
His arrest followed a warrant issued by an Accra Circuit Court for the comedian to answer allegations of fraud made against him by one Stephen Kwarteng.
He was arrested yesterday when he called at the unit to answer questions on the alleged fraud.
He might not be granted bail immediately since the warrant of arrest issued by the judge did not state that he should be given a police bail.
Agya Koo would face charges of attempting to smuggle and defrauding by false pretense.
He had insisted that his lawyer, Capt Nkrabea Effah Dartey, be present before he would write his statement or be interrogated.
However, after several hours of waiting, the police took him to the crime scene at the American Embassy where his victims said the had converged to claim their US entry visas which were never forthcoming.
The Director of AHTU, Superintendent Patience Quaye, said following media reports, more victims, numbering about 13, had called to indicate their preparedness to lodge official complaints as they had also been swindled by the comedian.
Narrating the details of events leading to his arrest, Supt. Quaye said her outfit had received complaints from Mr. Kwarteng on January 4, 2013.
According to the complainant, somewhere in 2011, he discussed his intention to travel to the USA with a friend who introduced him to Agya Koo, for assistance.
He said when they met with Agya Koo at his Kumasi residence after earlier deliberations in Accra, he paid the comedian $1,880 as the cost of securing the US entry visa.
Two months after the payment, Agya Koo called to indicate that the visa was ready and asked the complainant to meet him around the US Embassy to collect it.
At the designated venue, the complainant met about 10 others who were also waiting for the comedian for similar reasons.
Agya Koo later showed up at the scene with a knapsack of documents claiming they were their visa application forms and told them too wait under a tree near the US Embassy for him while he went to meet the consular for their visas.
However, after about 3 hours of waiting in vain, Agya Koo allegedly called to inform them that he was at the Busy Internet premises near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and asked that they meet him there rather.
When they met him, he told them that they had been refused the US visas but promised to get them either Australian or Canadian visas.
Having realised they might have been defrauded, Kwarteng decided to report the incident to the CID Headquarters.
Several attempts to get the comedian for questioning by the police yielded no fruits, as he kept giving one reason or the other for not being able to show up. He sometimes banged the phone on the officers.
The police was therefore left with no option of taking the matter to court but Agya Koo failed to appear before the Accra Circuit Court, compelling it to issue a warrant for his arrest.
As at press time, Agya Koo was still at the CID headquarters with no hope of being bailed.
He might therefore spend the weekend behind bars until Monday January 21, 2013 when he would appear before the court for his fate to be decided.
His arrest followed a warrant issued by an Accra Circuit Court for the comedian to answer allegations of fraud made against him by one Stephen Kwarteng.
He was arrested yesterday when he called at the unit to answer questions on the alleged fraud.
He might not be granted bail immediately since the warrant of arrest issued by the judge did not state that he should be given a police bail.
Agya Koo would face charges of attempting to smuggle and defrauding by false pretense.
He had insisted that his lawyer, Capt Nkrabea Effah Dartey, be present before he would write his statement or be interrogated.
However, after several hours of waiting, the police took him to the crime scene at the American Embassy where his victims said the had converged to claim their US entry visas which were never forthcoming.
The Director of AHTU, Superintendent Patience Quaye, said following media reports, more victims, numbering about 13, had called to indicate their preparedness to lodge official complaints as they had also been swindled by the comedian.
Narrating the details of events leading to his arrest, Supt. Quaye said her outfit had received complaints from Mr. Kwarteng on January 4, 2013.
According to the complainant, somewhere in 2011, he discussed his intention to travel to the USA with a friend who introduced him to Agya Koo, for assistance.
He said when they met with Agya Koo at his Kumasi residence after earlier deliberations in Accra, he paid the comedian $1,880 as the cost of securing the US entry visa.
Two months after the payment, Agya Koo called to indicate that the visa was ready and asked the complainant to meet him around the US Embassy to collect it.
At the designated venue, the complainant met about 10 others who were also waiting for the comedian for similar reasons.
Agya Koo later showed up at the scene with a knapsack of documents claiming they were their visa application forms and told them too wait under a tree near the US Embassy for him while he went to meet the consular for their visas.
However, after about 3 hours of waiting in vain, Agya Koo allegedly called to inform them that he was at the Busy Internet premises near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and asked that they meet him there rather.
When they met him, he told them that they had been refused the US visas but promised to get them either Australian or Canadian visas.
Having realised they might have been defrauded, Kwarteng decided to report the incident to the CID Headquarters.
Several attempts to get the comedian for questioning by the police yielded no fruits, as he kept giving one reason or the other for not being able to show up. He sometimes banged the phone on the officers.
The police was therefore left with no option of taking the matter to court but Agya Koo failed to appear before the Accra Circuit Court, compelling it to issue a warrant for his arrest.
As at press time, Agya Koo was still at the CID headquarters with no hope of being bailed.
He might therefore spend the weekend behind bars until Monday January 21, 2013 when he would appear before the court for his fate to be decided.
Source: Daily Guide
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