Asie Ocansey Granted Bail

The Accra Circuit Court on Wednesday granted bail to Naa Asie Ocansey in the case in which she has been charged with human trafficking and fraud.

The court, presided over by Ms Sedina Agbemava, granted her bail in the sum of GHc 30, 000 with two sureties.

Ocansey has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The facts of the case, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Ms Mary Agbozo were that on November 2, 2012 the Anti- Human Trafficking Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) received a letter from the American Embassy prompting the police that the accused person had, on July 12, 2012, fraudulently prepared and submitted a visa application form in respect of one Eugenia Mensah Plange for the purpose of obtaining a visa.

According to the prosecutor, the accused person was subsequently invited to the unit for interrogation.During interrogation, she admitted knowing the said Plange and further added that Plange was part of a group thai was recruited by her organisation to be processed for a programme in the United States.

Ms Agbozo said the accused, in her caution statement, stated that she was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Channels of Blessings, a Christian-centred training institution, SOS Labour and International Employment Agency based in Tema.

However, when she was impressed upon to make available all documents in respect of the said Flange, she failed to do so.

“Investigations further revealed that a series of announcements had been made on Sunny FM, an Accra-based radio station, soliciting clients interested in travelling to the USA to work,” the prosecutor added.

She said the accused managed to falsify documents to indicate that Plange was a social worker and member of staff of Necotech and succeeded in taking GHc 5,000 for the purpose of obtaining a USA visa to facilitate her movement to that country.

But making a case for bail for his client, an Accra-based lawyer, Mr Yonny Kulendi, described the allegations against Ocansey as complete fabrications.

He said there was no letter from the US Embassy accusing his client of fraud, adding that he had documents to prove that.

He said his client was an international immigration expert who had done a lot of consultancy work for the government and argued that in the same way that she had cooperated with the police, she would continue to come to court until she was fully exonerated.

Mr Kulendi also pleaded with the court to hold the police to an expeditious trial to quickly vindicate the accused.