Retired Captain Prince Kofi Amoabeng, the founder of the defunct UT Bank, has revealed how the former NPP government under former wrote to the US Embassy to prevent him from obtaining a visa to travel to the USA.
According to Kofi Amoabeng, after a series of investigations into his business following the closure of UT Bank, his passport was returned to him by the court, allowing him to travel to the United States for two weeks.
Kofi Amoabeng, however, alleged that the Akufo-Addo government subsequently interrupted the process by writing to the US Embassy to deny him a visa.
The Retired Captain made this known while speaking on the difficulties he faced following the closure of UT Bank.
Kofi Amoabeng further argued that he was politically targeted as far back as 2012 and 2013.
Speaking on the Peswa Podcast on September 29, 2026, Kofi Amoabeng recounted, “The government has the power, so they took the decision, even to the point that when the court gave me my passport, I could travel to the US for two weeks. The government sent a letter to the American embassy that I shouldn’t be given a visa. I’m at peace with it. I don’t have to go to America to survive”.
“Politically, I was targeted way back in 2012-2013, and then we played into their [former government] hands because then they came and realised that people were in support of them,” he noted.
He further questioned the decision to close the bank instead of providing support and bringing in experts to help turn it around.
“Then instead of thinking rationally and saying, ‘OK, we have liquid support of about, say, $800 million and we’re going to use about $2.2 billion to close them down, who does that? At least if you give them $1 billion and put your own people on the board, experts on the board, [it could] turn it around.
“We wouldn’t have used $2.2 billion in addition to the $800 million, which makes it about 3 billion thrown away in taxpayers’ money, but I think we’re quite myopic,” he stated.
“They’re thinking about maybe Kofi Amoabeng and how they have got him. But I’m only one person, a small fly. And what about the staff? What about people with their investment, the company? What about taxes that could have been gotten out of it? And a whole lot of things that they didn’t look at, but they took that decision,” he added.
It will be recalled that Kofi Amoabeng has been in court for eight years after being charged over several issues related to the collapse of the UT Bank.
In related news, Kofi Amoabeng, the founder of the defunct UT Bank, has said he was once invited by security agencies for dancing in front of former President Akufo-Addo and Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.
According to Kofi Amoabeng, a dance at an anniversary celebration of the Okyenhene of Akyem Abuakwa, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, and then President Akufo-Addo got him in trouble with security agencies.
Kofi Amoabeng recounted that upon returning to Accra after the anniversary celebration, he got several invitations from state security agencies, including the Ghana Police Service and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Speaking in an interview on Accra-based Kingdom FM, shared on X on September 19, 2026, Kofi Amoabeng narrated, “It is not as if I’m good at dancing. I just like it. Whether my moves are off the beat or not, I’m just happy when I’m dancing. But sometimes dancing gets you in trouble.
“I remember being invited to the palace of Okyehene for his 15th or 20th anniversary. When I got there, I was ushered to my table, and I took some champagne… The band led by Pat Thomas was playing some good music. I got up and danced. I danced with (sic). We were the only two who danced,” he narrated.
“That was in December. When I came back to Accra on the 5th of December, I was told that EOCO was looking for me; the Special Investigation Team was also looking for me… the Police CID was looking for me.
“I asked what was going on, and I was told it was because of the way I dance in Kyebi. When I was dancing, the President, the Vice President, the ministers were all there, but they didn’t dance, but I did,” he said.
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