Monalisa Abigail Semeha, popularly known as Mona Gucci, has been acquitted and discharged by an Accra Circuit Court following allegations of defrauding a trader of GHC103,400.
The case centered on Monalisa, a Travel and Event Consultant, who reportedly collected the money in February 2019 with the promise of securing American visas for clients of the complainant, Comfort Obiri. However, the visas were not delivered.
Charged with defrauding by false pretenses, Monalisa maintained her innocence and pleaded not guilty to the allegations. The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong, presented three witnesses during the trial.
In response, Monalisa’s legal team filed a submission of no case, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against her. Presiding judge Mr. Isaac Addo ruled in favor of the defense, determining that the matter was a “civil issue gone wrong” rather than a criminal offense. Consequently, Monalisa was acquitted and discharged.
Background of the Case
According to the prosecution, the complainant, Comfort Obiri, a resident of Ofankor, Accra, was introduced to Monalisa by a mutual acquaintance named Esther. Monalisa, who resides in Odorkor, Accra, allegedly assured Comfort that she could secure a U.S. visa at a cost of GHC40,000.
Comfort then referred three individuals to Monalisa for visa services. In total, Monalisa reportedly collected GHC103,400 from the group but failed to deliver the promised visas.
The prosecution noted that Monalisa had promised to refund the money but was unable to fulfill this commitment.
Despite the accusations, the court’s ruling emphasized that the dispute was not criminal in nature, leading to Monalisa’s acquittal.
