An American court presided over by Judge Jill K. McCook, has scheduled the pretrial proceedings for June 4, 2024, in a criminal case involving two Ghanaian nationals detained in the United States on charges of internet fraud and money laundering.

The accused, Wigbert Bandie, also known as Wiggy, a 34-year-old native of Wa in the Upper West region, and 30-year-old Khadijah Adam, a Gonja native from Bole residing in Tamale, Ghana, and New Jersey, USA, are at the centre of this case.

Wiggy Bandie's parents, Emilda Delaara and Boye Bandie, both reside in Wa, northwestern Ghana. Wiggy was arrested on November 23, 2023, at an international airport in New York, arriving from Doha, Qatar. Khadijah Adam was the first to be arrested in 2022, after which a Grand Jury for the Eastern District of Tennessee indicted her, along with Wiggy Bandie and another suspect, Mubarak Braimah.

While out on bail, Khadijah Adam allegedly attempted to flee the US but was apprehended in December 2023. Meanwhile, the court has issued an FBI warrant for the arrest of Mubarak Braimah, the son of an ex-military officer in Tamale, who is believed to be hiding in Jinasonaly, a neighbourhood in Tamale.

The three defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, and money laundering. It is alleged that from June 22, 2019, through December 31, 2019, the defendants conspired to defraud victims through romance scams, obtaining money under false pretences.

Wiggy Bandie and Mubarak Braimah allegedly targeted victims via social media, impersonating individuals overseas seeking relationships. They convinced victims to send money for shipping fees, promising profits from non-existent gold shipments. Khadijah Adam and Wiggy received these funds from the victims.

In one case, Wiggy Bandie, also known as "Kimberly McIntosh," posed as an heiress to gold bars in Singapore, deceiving Richard Coleman, a Knoxville resident, into paying shipping fees.

Bandie created fake documents, including a memorandum of understanding for a 40% share of the gold, which Coleman signed. Mubarak Braimah, pretending to be a liaison for a fake shipping company, facilitated the scam, defrauding Coleman of $73,550.

JoyNews has learned that Wiggy Bandie, arraigned on November 27, 2023, was offered a plea bargain involving repayment and a six-year jail term, which he declined.

Court documents reveal Bandie's request for a bill of particulars, seeking detailed information to prepare his defence, was denied. The court argued the indictment and discovery provided sufficient information for his defence.

As the case progresses, the court has set June 4, 2024, for the pretrial to begin. Wiggy Bandie is currently under house arrest at the residence of his New York-based friend, Nabil, also a Ghanaian.