Former Ghana international Samuel Inkoom has recently been granted bail in a case where he is accused of defrauding a woman of $4000.00 under the pretense of securing a US VISA for her. The court, presided over by Mrs. Susana Eduful, granted the retired footballer a GH₵100,000.00 bail with two sureties, each earning not less than GH₵5000.00. As part of the conditions, Inkoom was required to surrender his passport at the Court’s Registry and is scheduled to appear before the court again on January 22, 2025.
The allegations against Inkoom stem from an incident where he allegedly took $4,000.00 from Elizabeth Atarime Mboh Awuni, promising to secure a USA travel visa for her client. However, Inkoom has vehemently denied the accusations brought against him.
Police Chief Inspector Tetteh Boafo presented the facts in court, detailing how Madam Awuni, an entrepreneur residing in Oyarifa, Accra, and Madam Abigail Owusu, a public servant also from Oyarifa, were both involved as complainants in the case.
The case dates back to December 2023 when Madam Awuni encountered Inkoom while scouting for young footballers in Achimota. Inkoom, during their conversation, mentioned his involvement in travel and tours, alongside his scouting activities. He offered to assist in securing USA and Canadian visas for applicants within a six-week timeframe, charging a fee of $4,000.00.
Convinced by Inkoom’s promises, Madam Awuni paid him the requested amount to help her client obtain a USA visa. Subsequently, Madam Owusu also met with Inkoom and paid him $2,000.00 for a similar visa service.
According to Chief Inspector Boafo, Inkoom assured the complainants that the visas would be delivered within six to eight weeks. However, when the promised timeframe elapsed, Inkoom failed to fulfill his commitments and went into hiding.
Upon realizing that something was amiss, the complainants reported the matter to the police, leading to Inkoom’s arrest. During the investigation, Inkoom admitted to receiving the funds from the complainants but claimed to have sent the money to a partner in the USA to facilitate the visa process. Nevertheless, he was unable to provide any concrete information to support his claims, leading authorities to deem his story as fraudulent.
Further investigations revealed that Inkoom did not have a legitimate partner in the USA as he had alleged. It was discovered that he had fabricated the story as a means to deceive the victims and swindle them out of their money.
During the course of the investigation, $2,000.00 in cash was found in Inkoom’s possession, which was subsequently returned to Madam Awuni. Following the completion of the inquiry, Inkoom was formally charged and brought before the court to face the legal repercussions of his actions.
As the case continues to unfold, it serves as a stark reminder of the importance of exercising caution and due diligence in financial transactions, especially when dealing with promises that seem too good to be true.
