An Accra Circuit Court has acquitted and discharged two individuals, Silvia Naa Doudu Wristberg and Nicodemus Quarshie, who had been accused of defrauding a businessman of GH¢60,380.
The court, presided over by Mr. Isaac Addo, found that the prosecution had failed to establish its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
As a result, the two defendants were cleared of charges related to conspiracy and defrauding by false pretences.
Silvia Wristberg, an unemployed woman, and Nicodemus Quarshie, a radio presenter, were accused alongside a third individual, Patrick Torto, who remains at large.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer, presented two witnesses to support their case, but the court ruled that the evidence was insufficient. Both defendants testified in their defence but did not call any additional witnesses.
The prosecution’s case stated that the complainant, Justice Kofi Buah, a travel and tour operator from Spintex in the Greater Accra Region, had fallen victim to the alleged fraud.
Silvia, the first accused, is a resident of Cape Coast in the Central Region. According to the prosecution, the incident began in March 2023 when the complainant was contacted by Torto and Quarshie, who introduced themselves as protocol officers.
They claimed they could use their office to secure Canadian visas for the complainant’s clients. Wristberg, the first accused, also claimed to be an aide to the First Lady of Ghana, further solidifying their credibility.
The accused persons demanded and collected GH¢7,764 as visa and work permit fees for 12 applicants. They also obtained 18 passports from the applicants, which they said would help facilitate the visa process.
In total, the three accused individuals collected GH¢60,380 in cash and through mobile money transfers in Wristberg’s name.
On April 24, 2024, Buah received a WhatsApp message from the accused, claiming that the visas had been secured. However, when Buah visited the Office of the President Annex in Ridge, he discovered that the accused had provided false identities and were not affiliated with any official government offices.
Further investigation revealed that the accused were on the national security and Ministry of Foreign Affairs wanted lists for similar fraudulent activities. Wristberg was arrested in Cape Coast following intelligence reports, while Torto managed to escape. Buah identified Wristberg and Quarshie as the perpetrators of the fraud.
