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Ghanaian social media influencer, Mona Faiz Montrage charged in US

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A Ghanaian social media influencer, Mona Faiz Montrage, better known as Hajia4Reall, has been extradited from the UK to the US where she is facing charges of defrauding older, single American males out of over $2 million in what the FBI described as a “depraved lonely hearts scam.”

Montrage is facing charges of wire fraud, money laundering, receipt of stolen money, and conspiracy. If found guilty, she may spend up to 20 years in jail.

The 30-year-old Accra-born Montrage was charged in the Manhattan Federal Court on Monday for her role in several romance scams that preyed on older people who were living alone, US Attorney for Manhattan, Damian Williams, told a press conference on Tuesday.

“As alleged, Mona Faiz Montrage was a member of a criminal conspiracy that specifically targeted older Americans through romance scams,” Williams stated.

“These scams can be both financially and emotionally devastating for vulnerable victims. Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners, Montrage was arrested abroad and has been brought to the United States to face justice,” he added.

Montrage, who has over 3.4 million followers on Instagram and had one of the top 10 profiled accounts in Ghana, is suspected to be part of a syndicate of fraudsters from West Africa who used emails, texts, and social media communications to dupe individuals into believing they were in relationships with them from at least 2013 to 2019, the FBI stated.

According to court documents, the scammers would persuade their victims to wire money to them under false pretenses, such as helping to smuggle gold to the US from overseas, resolving fraudulent FBI investigations, and payments to support fake US Army officers in Afghanistan.

Court filings also indicated that Montrage allegedly conned a victim into transferring $89,000 over 82 wire transfers under the guise of assisting her father’s farm in Ghana.

“After several phone calls using her true identity, she allegedly deceived the person into thinking the two of them had tied the knot by handing them a tribal marriage certificate.”

Prosecutors also claim that Montrage accepted money from several other people who had been defrauded by con artists connected to her ring.

“In total, Montrage received $2 million from the victims’ money that the group embezzled into bank accounts she held in the Bronx and elsewhere, including one she opened under the fictitious name of a clothing firm, 4Reall Designs,” court documents further revealed.

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Ghana’s Afua Asantewaa begins second GWR sing-a-thon attempt

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Ghanaian singer, Afua Asantewaa, on Saturday, began her second attempt at breaking the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest singing marathon by an individual.

The sing-a-thon which began in the early hours of Saturday, December 21, at Heroes’ Park, Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, will run until December 25, and will see the determined songstress perform non-stop, focusing exclusively on Ghanaian songs.

According to Asantewaa’s manager, Madam Gladys Osei Owiredu, the audacious initiative is aimed at showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Ghanaian music to a global audience.

Owiredu confirmed that preparations for the event had been extensive but expressed confidence in Asantewaa’s readiness to finally break the record.

“I can confirm that she is ready for the task ahead. It’s been challenging—by way of preparations—but I can say she is ready,” Owiredu said.

Asantewaa’s second attempt follows her first effort in December 2023, which fell short of surpassing the current record of 105 hours held by India’s Sunil Waghmare.

But despite the setback, her team remains optimistic about breaking the record this time with corporate sponsors including International Maritime Hospital, Ghana Gas, Nasco Electronics, and Zoomlion Ghana Limited rallying behind her, underscoring the importance of the attempt in amplifying the global significance of Ghanaian music.

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Ghana’s Supreme Court dismisses suit challenging anti-LGBT bill

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Ghana’s Supreme Court has dismissed two separate suits challenging the legality of one of the proposed anti-LGBT legislations awaiting assent into law by the president.

The separate suits were filed by two legal practitioners, Amanda Odoi and Richard Sky, challenging the bill, seeking to declare it illegal and prevent the president from signing it.

The two cases had challenged the constitutionality of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.

But in a ruling on Wednesday, the Supreme Court unanimously decided to dismiss the legal challenges to the new anti-LGBT legislation that has been criticised by rights groups.

The controversial bill was passed earlier this year by Ghanaian lawmakers with three years imprisonment for people identifying as LGBT and five years for forming or funding LGBT groups.

While dismissing the cases, presiding judge, Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson, who delivered the ruling on behalf of the seven-member panel, said the cases were premature.

“Until there’s presidential assent, there is no act, the two cases were “unanimously dismissed,” she said.

The ruling is the latest blow to the LGBTQ community in Ghana and paves the way for the president to sign into law what many say is one of Africa’s most restrictive piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose term in office ends on 7 January, had delayed signing it pending the outcome of the Supreme Court challenge but the judges said the case could not be reviewed until it had been signed it into law.

It expected that incoming president, John Mahama, will sign the bill into law as he had always expressed his support for the bill during his electioneering campaigns.

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