POLICE HUNT FOR BAHMED OVER VISA FRAUD

POLICE HUNT FOR BAHMED OVER VISA FRAUD

By Mohammed Awal

The New Weija police have mounted a search for Alhaji Ahmed Bandoh, the chief Executive Officer of the Bahmed Travel and Tours, who has absconded after being granted bail in  a          GH¢8,000 Visa fraud charge, brought against him by a complainant.

According to Inspector Abdul Abubakar, the investigator who is handling the case, the police are planning to secure criminal summons against the ‘iconic’ travel and tours operator, to appear before the court to answer to the alleged fraud.

Inspector Abdul Abubakar, briefing The Chronicle on the facts of the case said one  Lukman Dauda (the Complainant) lodged a complaint with them,  that  he had been defrauded by Alhaji Banda to the tune of GH¢8,000.

 According to him, Alhaji Bandoh promised to secure a US visa for the complainant, for which he charged him (complainant) GH¢15, 000.

The complainant then made a down payment of GH¢8000 with the promise to pay the balance if he secured the visa.

The Chronicle was told that though the payment for the first tranche was made way back on October 17^th, 2011, Alhaji Bandoh has to date, failed to secure the visa for the complainant.

The complainant subsequently made a report to the police on April 11, 2013, upon which the accused was arrested and granted bail. The investigator, Inspector Abdul Abubakar, said though the accused admitted the offence and promised to pay back the money, he had reneged on his promise. 

Alhaji Bandoh has also stopped reporting to the police as specified by his bail condition.   “All attempts aimed at getting him to report have proved futile”, the Inspector said.

According to Inspector Abubakar, all attempts to reach the accused on mobile phone numbers he gave to the police have also failed.  According to him, he personally visited his (Alhaji Bandoh) house “several times”, but he was still nowhere to be found.

The Police, he noted, would secure a criminal summons to compel him (Alhaji Banda) to appear before the law court to respond to alleged charges.