Michael
Ayittey Okine, alias Ayitey Powers, a professional Ghanaian boxer, was
last Monday arraigned for allegedly taking money from two residents of
Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, amounting to GH¢14,000 under the
pretext of securing them visas.
The suspect was put before a court presided over by Audrey Kocuvie- Tay and charged with defrauding by false pretence.
He
pleaded not guilty and has been granted a GH¢ 50,000 bail with
two sureties, while the case has been adjourned to September 18, 2014.
Presenting
the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Isaac Agbemehia,
said the complainants were Nana Oppong Yaw of Asuoye- boah and Kofi
Asante of Abrepoh Junction in Kumasi.
According
to him, in November 2013, the suspect purportedly took advantage of
his boxing career and claimed he could acquire visas for some Ghanaians
to travel to Australia as part of his boxing team.
He
said some Ghanaians resident in Australia who heard about the
supposed deal, went and saw the boxer and told him they wanted some
family members to join them, adding that he (Powers) allegedly promised
that he could assist them.
The
prosecutor stated that as a result of that, Nana Oppong paid to the
suspect GH¢6,500 while Asante paid him GH¢7,500; and Ayitey took their
passports with the aim of acquiring visas for them.
Furthermore,
the prosecutor noted that even though the complainants were not
boxers, the suspect acquired boxers’ identification cards for them from
the boxing authority which he forwarded to the Australian High
Commission and showed evidence to the complainants on February 12, 2014.
Explaining
further, Chief Inspector Agbemehia said the complainants were not
satisfied with the turn of events regarding their visa application and
asked the boxer for a refund but he failed to do so.
He
observed that the victims reported the matter to the police and the
boxer, recently defeated by Bukom Banku, another Ghanaian boxer, in a
recent boxing bout, was consequently arraigned before the court.
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