Consultant granted bail over alleged Canadian visa fraud

Court News

The Dansoman Circuit Court has granted bail to Daniel Okpoti Okerchiri. He is a 35-year-old consultant with Tilly’s World of Possibilities Consultancy. Okerchiri is accused of defrauding 27 people by promising Canadian visas.

Judge Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit set the bail at GH¢200,000. The bail comes with strict conditions. Okerchiri must provide three sureties, two of whom must be public servants earning at least GH¢1,000 monthly.

He must also deposit his Ghana Card and passport with the court. Additionally, he is required to report to the police every two weeks.

Okerchiri was remanded in police custody on May 9, 2025. He faces two charges: conspiracy to commit crime and defrauding by false pretence. These charges violate sections 23(1) and 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). The case will continue on May 12, 2025.

According to Chief Inspector Kwadwo Aboagye, the complainant is Abraham Nii Okai Reindorf, a trader. In June 2023, he was introduced to Okerchiri and a woman named Thelma through a contact in Canada. They promised to secure Canadian visas for Reindorf and others.

Reindorf gathered 27 individuals and collected various amounts of money from them. This totaled GH¢159,000 and US$7,900 which he gave to Okerchiri and his accomplices. After receiving the funds, Okerchiri allegedly failed to deliver and went into hiding.

On January 26, 2025, a police report led to his arrest. During questioning, he admitted his offense and named another suspect, Adama Alifa. Alifa is currently at large.

The court learned that Okerchiri has refunded GH¢14,600 and US$400 so far. This includes GH¢10,000 recently returned to Reindorf. Efforts are ongoing to capture the remaining suspects involved in this case.