A businessman, Frank Ablorh, has been sentenced to a fine of GH¢24,000.00 for collecting $2,000 each from six persons under the pretext of securing them Canadian visas.

Ablorh in default would go to jail for eight months in hard labour.

Ablorh had pleaded not guilty before an Accra Circuit Court on six counts of defrauding by false pretenses.

The Court, presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah, at the end of the trial, however, found Ablorh guilty on all the six counts and convicted him accordingly.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Seth Frimpong, said the complainants were Vida Ampah, a trader, David Kofi Agbo, an artist, Emmanuel Awah, trader, Gifty Agbodjan, a caterer, Abraham Agbodjan a trader and Jeffery Agbo, a Business Administrator.

He said Ablorh and the complainants were church members and that in February 2017, Ablorh announced at Church that he could assist prospective applicants to secure Canadian visas.

The prosecution said Ablorh informed the complainants that his partners were organising a conference in Toronto, Canada in June 2017 and demanded $5,000 each from the applicants so he could add them to a delegation from Ghana.

The prosecution said the complainants expressed interest and parted with $2,000 each as part payment in anticipation that Ablorh would procure their visas.

Mr Frimpong said the date for the conference elapsed and Ablorh could not secure their visas so the complainants demanded their money, but Ablorh refused to refund the various amount and went into hiding.

Chief Inspector Frimpong said a report was made to the Police and during investigations Ablorh was arrested and $1,600 was retrieved from him.

The Prosecution said Police investigations revealed that there was no such conference in Canada as alleged by Ablorh and that he made a false representation to swindle the complainants.