The warrant, issued in Accra on January 8,2013, directed the police to apprehend Agya Koo and produce him before the court to answer the charges of fraud leveled against him by a complainant.
The ace comedian, speaking on the phone to Daily Graphic staff, denied having collected that amount of money from complainant Stephen Kwarteng although he admitted to personally knowing Mr. Kwarteng.
The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, COP Prosper Agblor, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that a fraud report had been leveled against the suspect by Mr. Kwarteng, who alleges that the comedian had taken GHC 3,800 from him under the pretext of helping him travel to the US.
According to Mr. Agblor, although the warrant was placed at all exit and entry points in the country to prevent the suspect from travelling out of the country, Agya Koo managed to slip by immigration officials at the Kotoka International Airport and travelled to Abu Dhabi to watch the friendly football match between Ghana and Tunisia.
The Director-General indicated that the complainant reported to the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the CID that some time in 2011, he had expressed the desire to travel abroad and discussed the issue with a friend, who introduced him to Agya Koo as a friend who could help him realise his dream.
Thereafter, the complainant and his friend called Agya Koo to inform him about Mr. Kwarteng's intentions to travel to the USA, and Mr. Agblor said that Agya Koo later invited the two to his house at Alhaji Tabora in Accra for further discussions.
During subsequent discussions, Agya Koo told them that he had helped many people to travel outside the country and promised to help Kwarteng travel in January 2012.
The complainant claimed that on the day of the meeting, Agya Koo indicated that he was leaving for Kumasi and allegedly requested that complainant to bring him GHC 3,800 for the processing of the documents.
Mr. Agblor said that because Mr. Kwarteng claimed he did not have the money at that time, Agya Koo asked him to pay the said amount later and the complainant later took the money to the Takyiman residence of Agya Koo in Kumasi.
After Kwarteng had allegedly handed over the money to Agya Koo, the suspect promised to process the necessary documents for the visa at the American Embassy.
Two months later, Agya Koo called to inform Mr. Kwarteng that the visa was ready for collection at the embassy and requested that the complainant meet him under the tree at the roundabout close to the America Embassy.
When Mr. Kwarteng got to the roundabout, he met 10 other people who were also waiting for Agya Koo to pick up their visas.
Agya Koo showed up later armed with a bag full of documents claiming to be the visa application forms and passports and asked his "clients" to wait for him under the tree while he went to the embassy to meet the consular for their visas.
After three hours of waiting under the tree, Agya Koo was said to have called those waiting for him to tell them that he was at Busy Internet at Kwame Nkrumah Circle and that they should meet him there.
According to Mr. Agblor, it was at Busy Internet that Agya Koo informed them that they had been refused the American visas but quickly promised to secure them either Canadian or Australian visas.
The CID Chief said Kwarteng claimed that after that meeting, anytime he called Agya Koo, the comedian brushed him off with one explanation or another.
According to the Director of the AHTU of the CID, Superintendent Patience Quaye, a report on the alleged fraud was made to the police on January 4, 2013.
However, all efforts to get Agya Koo to report himself and assist in investigations failed, compelling the police to take the matter to court.
Although Agya Koo was informed of the case in court, he failed to show up, an action that compelled the court to issue a warrant for his arrest.
At the time of the filing this report, a source at the CID Headquarters told the Daily Graphic that Agya Koo had called to avail himself to the police today.
From: Daily Graphic
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