Entertainment pundit, Kwame Obeng Asare, widely recognized as A Plus, has expressed his contentment with the penalty imposed on Mona Faiz Montrage, popularly known as Hajia4Reall, for her involvement in fraudulent activities.
He believes that the one-year-and-one-day sentence handed down to the socialite will serve as a valuable lesson and deter her from engaging in wrongful acts after her release from prison.
He further mentioned that his viewpoint is predicated on the belief that the punishment will act as a caution to others who engage in romance scams to illicitly amass wealth from well-to-do individuals.
Speaking on UTV’s United Showbiz on June 29, 2024, A Plus advised those involved in romance scams to abandon such practices to avoid facing similar repercussions if arrested.
“They say we shouldn’t take pleasure in another’s misfortune. I’m not actually overjoyed about the prison term,” he told show host, MzGee. “We’ve all committed acts for which we could have been imprisoned if caught. I’m happy with the punishment because it’s intended to awaken people to reality rather than cater to their desires.”
“So, I’m confident she [Hajia4Real] has learned her lesson, and others who emulate such behaviour will also take heed. Labelling Hajia as a bad person is irrelevant. Girls involved in scams should also take note, for once you’re caught, imprisonment is inevitable,” he said in Twi.
The comment followed the sentencing of Hajia4Real to one year and one day in a U.S. prison for her role in a romance scam that amassed over $2 million.
She was apprehended in the UK in November 2022 and subsequently extradited to the U.S. in May 2023.
Although she faced a possible five-year term after her guilty plea in February 2024, the judge showed clemency, partly to account for “good time” in her sentencing.