The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has initiated an investigation into a Lebanese national who was sentenced to five years in prison for fraud.
After being probed for major offenses, Naji Khalil was charged on August 5, 2020, before the Accra Circuit Court 4 presided over by His Honour M.E. Essandoh.
During the inquiry, the accused was a part of a known international organized criminal network that included Nabil Zayani (Lebanese), Abraham Faouri (Jordanian), and Tony Michaelis.
They were charged with conspiracy to defraud by false pretence, defrauding by false pretence, being a member of an organized criminal gang, and conspiracy to conduct a crime, namely money laundering.
His Honour M. E. Essandoh sentenced Naji Khalil to five (5) years in jail with hard labor on two charges of Conspiracy to Defraud by False Pretence and Defrauding by False Pretence on June 22, 2022.
Because he skipped bail during the trial, the offender was tried in absentia, and the court issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
The three (3) others were still at large at the time of the court proceedings and therefore were unable to enter their pleas.
EOCO has thus appealing to the general public for assistance in locating and apprehending the aforementioned offender so that he can serve his due jail sentences.
Case Specifics
In April 2019, the victim, Dr Khadidja Katir, an Algerian national, claimed to EOCO that she had been robbed to the tune of USD138,000 by an organized criminal organization located in Ghana comprised of four (4) suspects Naji Khalil, Nabil Zayani, Abraham Faouri, and Tony Michaelis.
This was done under the guise of transporting 'raw crystals' valued at USD 4 billion to her in Malta.
Following repeated phone calls from the victim after she had deposited the funds, the accused refused to return her calls. However, when they eventually answered her phone, they vowed to murder her if she ever returned to Ghana.
Despite the threats, the victim, Dr Khadidja Katir, arrived in Ghana and filed a case with EOCO.
Investigations revealed that the accused are part of an international organized crime gang that defrauds unsuspecting members of the public.