The High Commission accused George Boakye and three other sitting MPs of engaging in various forms of visa related fraud.

Mr Boakye who felt he was being wrongfully accused subsequently wrote to the Commission demanding proof of his culpability.

[contextly_sidebar id=”dl2uTzc92cO0KZOPKXou9Khe1HQU9rLb”]He has received two separate responses from the High Commission but according to him, there was still no proof of his involvement in any fraud.

Mr. Boakye explained to Citi News that the commission has not been also able to prove that he used a diplomatic passport during the visa application process.

“I wrote to them and made them aware that I never used any diplomatic passport; I even sent them a copy of my passport to them. So they wrote back and told me that they never said that I used diplomatic passport and that they’ve not banned me for ten years. Then my lawyer wrote to them again asking them to show where in the visa application process we acted fraudulently and that was the reply we were expecting from them.”

“We got the reply on Tuesday and they didn’t even say anything about it and neither did they say that they’ve rejected our application… I just wanted them to show my where I acted fraudulently and the reply I had from them on Tuesday didn’t even touch and that issue. That was the most important thing. That is what I wanted to know from them,” he added.

Mr. Boakye’s alleged crime by UK High Commission

The British High Commissioner, Jon Benjamin earlier wrote a letter to the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye about the four MPs who he said had been ban for ten years from the UK for allegedly engaging in visa fraud.

In the case of Mr. Boakye, the High Commissioner said: “On 11/09/2012, the then Honourable and now former MP for Asunafo South George BOAKYE applied for visas for himself and his 37-year old daughter, Joyce BOAKYE to visit a friend in London for 17 days.

“The visas were granted on 14/09/2012. On 17/01/2013 Joyce BOAKYE travelled to the UK with her Honourable father. Joyce BOAKYE did not leave the UK with her father, but remained until 06/01/2017,” the statement added.

My daughter tricked me and overstayed
George Boakye had earlier lamented that his 37-year-old daughter tricked him into taking her to London under the pretext of going to see her uncle, but disappeared on their arrival in the UK.

According to him, although he knew he was being irresponsible by not reporting his daughter’s disappearance once he couldn’t find her, but he feared a report to security officials would have her incarcerated.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey & Felicia Osei/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Visa fraud: UK Commission couldn’t prove I acted fraudulently – MP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The alleged visa fraud came to the fore after release of a confidential letter the British High Commission in Ghana wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, accusing the MPs of facilitating the entry of some of their supposed relatives to the UK using their Diplomatic Passports

The letter cited Richard Acheampong, MP for Bia East in the Western Region; Joseph Benhazin Dahah, MP for Asutifi North in the Brong Ahafo region; Johnson Kwaku Adu, MP for Ahafo Ano South West in the Ashanti Region and George Boakye, former MP for Asunafo South in the Brong Ahafo.

[contextly_sidebar id=”MsPHQBxUcZqbwt0DsFpcxsFcASuaBAXg”]The accused persons have thus been banned by from entering the UK for ten years.

The Speaker has said the House is investigating the matter and would come out with the appropriate response and sanctions.

But Mr. Amidu, who in his latest statement on the matter condemned the insults on the British High Commissioner to Ghana over the leaked letter, said the four accused persons committed the alleged offenses whiles serving as MPs in the 5th and 6th parliaments, which have both been dissolved.

“Consequently, I do not think that the 7th Parliament has any jurisdiction to exact any punishment from the one former (NDC) MP under the 5th Parliament and the three (NPP) MPs under the 6th Parliament for offences committed in previous Parliaments that have already been dissolved by law. The three (NPP) MPs of the 6th Parliament now serving in the 7th Parliament were elected thereto and took the oath under a different mandate which begun on 7th January 2017.”

Mr. Amidu is of the view that, the Speaker should have referred the matter to the Ghana Police Service to investigate it as a criminal matter, or to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, which deals with the issuance of diplomatic passports to take action.

“The dissolution of those Parliaments did not affect whatever criminal offences involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude the MPs might have been suspected of committing outside Parliament when they were MPs in the 5th and 6th Parliaments. Consequently, even though the British High Commission wrote to the Speaker of Parliament upon his inaugural undertaking, this matter should have been disposed of by the Speaker timeously, as he had no jurisdiction, by referring the High Commission’s letter to the Ghana Police Service for investigations in accordance with the laws of Ghana.”

Below is Mr. Amidu’s full statement

I have read and followed the publications on the online media since 26th April 2017 in which some Members of Ghana’s 7th Parliament have made needless derogatory comments about H.E. Jon Benjamin, the High Commissioner of the United kingdom to Ghana for a letter he signed on behalf of the High Commission in Ghana dated 20th January 2017 and addressed to the Speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament: “regarding the apparent involvement of three serving MPs and one former MP in visa fraud directly affecting the United Kingdom.” The wrong perception has been created by the unwarranted attacks on the person and office of the High Commissioner that by writing that letter he has brought or facilitated the bringing of the reputation of the 7th Parliament into disrepute in the eyes of the sovereign people of Ghana.

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Joseph Osei Owusu (and the person acting as the Speaker of Parliament in the absence of the Speaker abroad) is reported to have slammed the High Commissioner “over the latter’s decision to expose four Ghananian (sic) MPs for alleged visa fraud after he exacted penalties against them.” The only fact supporting the likelihood that the High Commissioner personally leaked his letter to the Speaker appears to be what the First Deputy Speaker was reported to have told Starr FM the previous day: “I think that that High Commissioner in so many instances has acted in ways that in my view transcends the bounds of decency and propriety.”

Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is also reported as having written in his capacity as Ranking Member, Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament and chastised the content of the High Commissioner’s letter and stating categorically that: “Reading through Jon Benjamin’s letter, however, one cannot help but notice a rather regrettable colonial mindset” for proposing a protocol to guide future applications for visa from MPs holding diplomatic passports. Regrettably the criticism of the High Commissioner by Hon. Ablakwa appears to have been made under the erroneous assumption that the grant of entry rights to foreign nationals into any country is a right and not a mere privilege. Ablakwa’s criticism of the content of the High Commissioner’s letter also assumed that the High Commissioner either personally leaked the letter or he should not have written it in the first place when he says: “Even though many of us have had concern about the modus operandi and non-diplomatic tendencies of the top-most British diplomat in Accra, I will not advocate hostility or reciprocal action on British MPs….”

Other MPs have further been reported to have described the High Commissioner as a “media freak”, “a very example of how not to be a diplomat”, “a media whore”, etc… The perception is thus disingenuously created by some Members of Parliament of the 7th Parliament that the High Commissioner personally leaked the letter to bring the reputation of the 7th Parliament into disrepute without providing any direct linkage between the leakage and the High Commissioner whatsoever.

The insults coming from MPs from both sides of Parliament give the impression that Parliament is more hysterical about its reputation being brought into disrepute through the exposure of dishonourable conduct by its members rather than maintaining the honour and dignity of the institution of Parliament through a transparent, fair and credible constitutional process of dealing with members who bring the reputation of the institution into disrepute. But no institutional reputation can be achieved by covering up or insulting, or citing or threatening to cite whistleblowers or potential whistleblowers for contempt or abuse.

The institutional reputation of Parliament is endangered when a majority of citizens, civil society organizations, and foreign embassies and other missions in Ghana perceive attempts to maintain Parliament’s integrity as a mere window dressing. In any case, how is our Whistleblowers Act to function if MPs cannot tolerate the leakage of a simple letter stating perceived misconduct and suspicion of crime on the part of some members of Parliament?

When one reads the letter of the British High Commission to the Speaker dated 20th January 2017, carefully one cannot escape the conclusion that it did not call for any attack or insult on his person or office by anybody in the 7th Parliament of Ghana. In writing the letter, the British High Commission noted that: “the powerful words in your impressive inaugural address as Speaker, to the effect that, for Members of Parliament, holding a Diplomatic Passport is both a privilege and responsibility which should not be abused; and that those who abuse that trust would be appropriately dealt with.” The letter was thus just a reaction or response to an undertaking made by the Speaker himself in his inaugural address. Did the Speaker at the time of making his inaugural address know that some members of Parliament in the previous Parliaments had abused the privileges accorded them in the issuance to them of Diplomatic Passports?

The events narrated in the British High Commission’s letter of 20th January 2017, had occurred at various times within the life of the 5th and 6th Parliaments of Ghana which had ceased to exist under Article 113 of the 1992 Constitution. The former (NDC) MP’s application for visa for himself and his daughter were granted on 14/9/2012 under the 5th Parliament. There is no allegation that this former MP used a Diplomatic Passport to apply for the visa.

The second (NPP) MP for Bia East’s applications with passport number DX001490 for visa were granted on 10/12/2015 under the 6th Parliament. The third (NPP) MP for Ntotroso’s applications with passport number DX001459 were issued on 11/04/16 under the 6th Parliament. The fourth (NPP) MP for Ahafo Ano South West’s applications with passport number DX002267 for visa were granted on 07/07/2016 under the 6th Parliament. Whatever offences under the laws of Ghana each of the four Members of Parliament under the 5th and 6th Parliaments might have committed were done before the 7th Parliament was inaugurated this year. Consequently, I do not think that the 7th Parliament has any jurisdiction to exact any punishment from the one former (NDC) MP under the 5th Parliament and the three (NPP) MPs under the 6th Parliament for offences committed in previous Parliaments that have already been dissolved by law. The three (NPP) MPs of the 6th Parliament now serving in the 7th Parliament were elected thereto and took the oath under a different mandate which begun on 7th January 2017.

The dissolution of those Parliaments did not affect whatever criminal offences involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude the MPs might have been suspected of committing outside Parliament when they were MPs in the 5th and 6th Parliaments. Consequently, even though the British High Commission wrote to the Speaker of Parliament upon his inaugural undertaking, this matter should have been disposed of by the Speaker timeously, as he had no jurisdiction, by referring the High Commission’s letter to the Ghana Police Service for investigations in accordance with the laws of Ghana. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also at liberty to act administratively under the law dealing with the issuance of passports and travel documents.

Unfortunately, for three good months the serious indictment on the honour and dignity of Members of Parliament under the 5th and 6th Parliaments were kept secret from the sovereign people of Ghana from 20th January 2017 to around 26th April 2017. When a whistleblower leaked the content of the letter, the High Commissioner who signed the letter was targeted for shameful insults and name calling by no less a person than the First Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Privileges Committee of Parliament, and other members of Parliament on the basis of pure conjecture.

Instead of the Acting Speaker of Parliament and other members shamelessly insulting the British High Commissioner for his letter which in my opinion sought to defend the dignity of the Parliament established under the 1992 Constitution, Parliament should rather be explaining to the sovereign people of Ghana why this matter was not referred to the police for investigation for three whole months before the whistleblower blew the whistle to the public. The explanation from the office of the Speaker that the matter would be dealt with in accordance with the law as it affects the integrity and reputation of Parliament looks belated. It gives the impression that if the whistleblower had not blown the whistle this matter may as well have been covered up or window dressed.

The Government of the United Kingdom and its Serious Fraud Office (now National Crime Agency) reported to and made available to the Government of Ghana documentary evidence of corruption involving public officers and Ministers of State in the Mabey and Johnson affairs somewhere in the year 2009.

The Government of Ghana showed and continues to show a disinterest to pursue investigations and possible prosecution of the case even after the Supreme Court had ruled that the matter could be investigated even by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice. The Government of the United Kingdom, its High Commission, and High Commissioner are again needlessly being insulted and intimidated by some Members of Parliament simply because a letter sanctioning and calling attention to the fact that some Members of Parliament in the 5th and 6th Parliaments might have abused their privileges and committed criminal offences in their application for visa to the High Commission has been leaked by a whistleblower to the sovereign public. How do we expect the Government of the United Kingdom and other foreign Governments from these experiences to believe that Ghana is committed as a nation to upholding the principles of probity and accountability enshrined in our 1992 Constitution?

It is a shame that while the Speaker of Parliament appears belatedly from abroad to be urging the use of temperate language in this matter by members of Parliament his First Deputy Speaker already led the pack of some of his members to attack the integrity of the British High Commissioner and his Government without any just cause.
Ghana clearly has a long way to go to defend the principles of probity and accountability enshrined in the Constitution.

I accordingly invite fellow patriotic citizens to join me in condemning the unwarranted attacks and shameful insults on the High Commissioner and his Government who only sought to defend the honour and dignity of Parliament as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution by pointing out past misconduct and suspected crime of some members of Parliament.

Martin A. B. K. Amidu
1st May 2017

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Current parliament can’t punish ‘visa fraud’ MPs for past wrongs – Amidu appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

[contextly_sidebar id=”E14phv9QTA7v56h9ecq1S41wu4OttRHH”]The alleged visa fraud came to the fore after the sighting of a confidential letter the British High Commission in Ghana wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, accusing the MPs of facilitating the entry of some of their supposed relatives to the UK using their Diplomatic Passports.

The letter cited Richard Acheampong, MP for Bia East in the Western Region; Joseph Benhazin Dahah, MP for Asutifi North in the Brong Ahafo region; Johnson Kwaku Adu, MP for Ahafo Ano South West in the Ashanti Region and George Boakye, former MP for Asunafo South in the Brong Ahafo.

Speaking on the development on Citi FM’s News Analysis Programme, the Legal Practitioner said the MPs should be sanctioned for wrongfully using their diplomatic passports.

“This is a bad situation particularly for the other three. When you are issued with a diplomatic passport, the intention is not for you to travel with your wife on a holiday. The only reason why MPs are given diplomatic passport is because you go on delegations and sometimes these delegations include delegations with the presidency, the Ministers,…”

Mr. Loh said the policy of securing diplomatic passports for MPs became a reality after several reported cases of unnecessary delays especially during the erstwhile Atta Mills’ administration.

“What happened is that because you did not have a diplomatic passport you were stranded virtually so at one point Prof Mills had to wait for two hours at the VVIP because he was travelling with a group of MPs and because he and the Ministers were on a diplomatic passport they had been checked in through VVIP and they were sitting there but the MPs had to go through the regular line and it delayed unnecessarily so after that , the decision was that because the MPs go and represent the country on international missions, give them diplomatic passport.”

The lawyer believes it will be needless to rationalise this development since “when you are an MP, the only reason why the British High Commission feels comfortable giving you the visa is because they are confident of your status in society. “

“If you go and you do not do what you are supposed to do, they have a right to impune on your credibility.”

Former MP to sue UK High Commission over Visa fraud claims 

Meanwhile, lawyers for one of the accused, a former MP for Asunafo South constituency, George Boakye, have asked the British High Commission to reverse its travel ban imposed on the former legislator.

According to the lawyers, the grounds for the imposition of the ban were unfounded.

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post George Loh slams MPs for engaging in ‘visa fraud’ appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the diplomat deliberately leaked a letter he sent to the Speaker of Parliament informing him of the UK’s decision to slap a travel ban on 4 parliamentarians, including a former member for allegedly engaging in various forms of illegal immigration practice.

“What is the import of putting this in the public domain if indeed Jon Benjamin respects our country as a sovereign nation? Who else could have done it? Work was being done to remedy this situation. We [Parliament] have the mechanisms and processes of correcting whatever wrong and investigating whatever accusations would have come against us. And I can guarantee you that, I will find it very difficult to suspect anyone of us [MPs].”

“You know he [Jon Benjamin] has the knack to be involved in any aspect of national discourse in Ghana… Simply put, he is a media whore. He wants the limelight. His time is due and I think this is the last thing that he wants to do and quite clearly he could not have found any other entity to malign than the august house of Parliament,” he said.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Friday, Clement Apaak, who is also the MP for Builsa South Constituency, said the allegations by the High Commission against the legislators cannot be held as sacrosanct and therefore must be independently investigated by Parliament itself.

“Just because the British High Commissioner has leveled an allegation against 3 sitting Members of Parliament and one former Member of Parliament does not mean his allegation is sacrosanct. Of course he is a diplomat, he has a role to play and he also represents a country, but we are also a sovereign nation… This has come up, those who have been accused have refuted in their own commentaries one way or the other that the allegations leveled against them and the punishment meted out to them certainly is not justified,” he noted.

He further revealed that, the Speaker of Parliament has attached importance to the issue and is determined to look into it to unravel the truth.

According to him, the Speaker while addressing first-time MPs of the new Parliament in January this year, said he was ready to investigate it, and thus cautioned the new MPs to conduct themselves in a manner that would not bring the name of the house into disrepute.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifimonline.com/Ghana

The post Jon Benjamin is a “media whore” – Apaak appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the lawyers, the grounds for the imposition of the ban were unfounded.

[contextly_sidebar id=”QR4agKJvEPS4feHv7FS58MzZyotAypto”]The British High Commissioner, Jon Benjamin, in a letter leaked to the media earlier this week, announced that 4 legislators including the former MP have been banned for 10 years from entering the UK by capitalizing on their diplomatic passport privilege to undertake various illegal immigration actions including helping supposed relatives overstay their visas in that country.

But in a letter addressed to the British High Commissioner, Jon Benjamin, and the Commission, lawyers to George Boakye said he did not travel on his diplomatic passport as the High Commission alleged.

“In respect of the period in question, my client traveled to the UK with a normal Ghanaian passport with passport number H1050729, and not a diplomatic passport. My client was granted two years UK visa from 14/9/12 to 14/9/14 with visa number 011164422.”

The lawyers noted that, it was wrong for the High Commission to blame the MP for his daughter’s long stay, especially as she is an adult and both applied for their visas independently.

“The purpose of the visit to the UK by the client and his 37-year-old daughter was a private one. My client returned as scheduled. His daughter, who is an adult failed to return as scheduled. My client cannot in any way be blamed because his adult daughter overstayed her Entry Permit into the UK.”

The lawyers further suggested that, the Commission peddled falsehood in its letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye on the matter, urging it to “in the interest of justice and fairness” to “put out the true story.”

“My client has not engaged in any form of visa fraud. All documents presented by the client were genuine, and he made the application directly to the UK Commission and not through any supposed third party. He has not abused the privileges and responsibility as a Diplomatic Passport Holder.”

The lawyer further threatened to drag the High Commission to court over the matter if it fails to publicly clear the former MP of any wrongdoing.

“We are expecting that based on the information we have provided, we expect your high office to reverse any travel ban imposed on my client and also come to the public domain to clear the issues. Youth failure to do so will compel my client to use all legal means to appeal against any decision to impose a travel ban on him to the UK and also clear his name”.

Meanwhile, the former MP, George Boakye, has told Citi News that his 37-year-old daughter tricked him into taking her to London under the pretext of going to see her uncle, but disappeared on their arrival in the UK.

According to him, although he knew he was being irresponsible by not reporting his daughter’s disappearance once he couldn’t find her, he feared a report to security officials would have had her incarcerated.

His daughter, in a separate interview with Citi News said that she should be blamed for her father’s woes.

According to her, she deliberately cut contact ties with her father after she told him she was leaving the house to visit an uncle in London, ahead of their scheduled departure date.

She appealed to Ghanaians to forgive her, although her story doesn’t seem to add up.

“I am pleading with my father and Ghanaians to forgive me. When I arrived, my father and I went to see the British High Commissioner and we pleaded with him too,” she said.

George Boakye’s offense

According to the British High Commission, “On 11/09/2012, the then Honourable and now former MP for Asunafo South George BOAKYE applied for visas for himself and his 37-year old daughter, Joyce BOAKYE to visit a friend in London for 17 days The visas were granted on 14/09/2012. On 17/01/2013 Joyce BOAKYE travelled to the UK with her Honourable father. Joyce BOAKYE did not leave the UK with her father, but remained until 06/01/2017.

In other words, she finally returned to Ghana just this month, having been in the UK illegally for over three years, and only then at our strong urging of Mr Boakye to bring her back. Mr Boakye is highly unlikely to be issued any further visas to visit the UK in the next ten years for his role in facilitating his daughter’s travel to the UK, including should he be re-elected to Parliament in a subsequent election.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Former MP to sue UK High Commission over Visa fraud claims appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the civil society organization, the allegation dents the legislative body’s integrity.

[contextly_sidebar id=”gUaTauxgKJknFjzGvLIDhEUVh2kRVokB”]The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, in a letter leaked to the media earlier this week, announced that four legislators including a former MP, have been banned for ten years from entering the UK for various illegal immigration practice facilitated by their diplomatic passports.

Their offenses include helping supposed relatives overstay their visas in the UK.

The Executive Director of ACEPA, Dr. Rasheed Dramani, said, “I think it is yet another heavy blow to the integrity of our Parliament and that is how I will describe it. It is quite unfortunate, and what makes it more unfortunate is the timing of it; at a time when we are healing from another scandal.”

On calls for the diplomatic passports of Members of Parliament to be withdrawn following the allegations, Dr. Rasheed Dramani said withdrawing the diplomatic passports will amount to nothing.

“I think it is not a question of diplomatic passports. It is more about anybody who carries the Ghanaian identity to show that they are a worthy ambassador… The issue is more about all Members of Parliament being guided by the fact that they have a heavy responsibility that they carry in the way they do everything and carry themselves at all times.”

All the MPs implicated in the alleged incident have been slapped with a 10-year ban from the UK.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Parliament’s image smeared again by ‘Visa fraud’ allegations – ACEPA appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to her, she deliberately cut contact ties with her father after she told him she was leaving the house to visit an uncle in the London, ahead of their scheduled departure date.

[contextly_sidebar id=”bzqzWpy30yi9harteaR8lKsvy0Rn0wy2″]The daughter, 41-year-old Joyce Boakye, refused to leave the UK and illegally stayed there for more than 3 years, after she had gone there with her father, a former MP for a short visit.

The result of her action has been a 10-year ban placed on her father by the UK, barring him from entering that country for the period.

She told Citi News in an interview that, she was with her boyfriend in London hence her failure to return with her father.

“I went with my father. And I told him I was leaving for town, but I never returned that is why I overstayed. I told him I will return, but I met my boyfriend in town and I departed for his house. I switched off my phone and removed my sim card so that when my father attempts to reach me on phone, he will be unsuccessful. That’s why I didn’t come with my father,” she said.

“I don’t call my father, and I don’t know how he got my number. But I kept calling mum though. There is no network where my mother lives so she to leaves her house before we can talk. As for my dad, he doesn’t have my number so I’m wondering how he got my number to tell me to come home. I intended to return with my boyfriend at his convenience. Excuse me for saying this, but I am old enough to stay away from home,” she told Citi News.

Her father is among 4 current and ex-legislators who have been banned from entering the UK over allegations of visa fraud using their diplomatic passports.

The British High Commissioner, Jon Benjamin in a letter to the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye said the offence of the former MP was that, “On 11/09/2012, the then Honourable and now former MP for Asunafo South George BOAKYE applied for visas for himself and his 37-year old daughter, Joyce BOAKYE to visit a friend in London for 17 days The visas were granted on 14/09/2012. On 17/01/2013 Joyce BOAKYE travelled to the UK with her Honourable father. Joyce BOAKYE did not leave the UK with her father, but remained until 06/01/2017. In other words, she finally returned to Ghana just this month, having been in the UK illegally for over three years, and only then at our strong urging of Mr Boakye to bring her back. Mr Boakye is highly unlikely to be issued any further visas to visit the UK in the next ten years for his role in facilitating his daughter’s travel to the UK, including should he be re-elected to Parliament in a subsequent election.

But Joyce Boakye said she should be held responsible for the incident and is therefore appealing to Ghanaians to forgive her, although her story doesn’t seem to add up.

“I am pleading with my father and Ghanaians to forgive me. When I arrived, my father and I went to see the British High Commissioner and we pleaded with him too.”

UK Visa Fraud: My daughter tricked me and overstayed – Former MP 

Meanwhile, her father has admitted acting irresponsibly by not reporting his daughter’s disappearance to security officials to help trace her when he noticed it was difficult finding her.

According to him, he feared that she would be incarcerated if found, hence his decision not to involve UK authorities over her disappearance. In an interview with Citi News, some of the former MP’s claims appeared incoherent.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post Visa fraud: Blame me for my dad’s ban – Ex-MP’s daughter appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, although he knew he was being irresponsible by not reporting his daughter’s disappearance once he couldn’t find her, he feared a report to security officials would have her incarcerated.

[contextly_sidebar id=”rEjQtsfCOab2tLSIoY9jIoz1wepwKcf6″]The former MP is among 4 current legislators who have been banned from entering the UK over allegations of visa fraud.

The British High Commissioner, Jon Benjamin in a letter to the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye said the offence of the former MP was that, “On 11/09/2012, the then Honourable and now former MP for Asunafo South George BOAKYE applied for visas for himself and his 37-year old daughter, Joyce BOAKYE to visit a friend in London for 17 days The visas were granted on 14/09/2012. On 17/01/2013 Joyce BOAKYE travelled to the UK with her Honourable father. Joyce BOAKYE did not leave the UK with her father, but remained until 06/01/2017. In other words, she finally returned to Ghana just this month, having been in the UK illegally for over three years, and only then at our strong urging of Mr Boakye to bring her back. Mr Boakye is highly unlikely to be issued any further visas to visit the UK in the next ten years for his role in facilitating his daughter’s travel to the UK, including should he be re-elected to Parliament in a subsequent election.

But according to Mr. Boakye, the development was not his fault. In a rather interesting Citi News interview, the former MP said he lost contact with his daughter after she left that house where she had gone to visit an Uncle that he the MP couldn’t even identify.

“She managed to trick me into believing that she wanted to go and visit her uncle. Not knowing, she had a prior arrangement with her boyfriend with the promise that the boyfriend would be able to regularize her stay for her. At the time that I was coming and she hadn’t come, I left a message and a return ticket with the hope that it should be given to my daughter anytime she returns, and I left. To be very honest, I lost contact with her because she knew me to be a very strict person and for that matter if I got the information that she was there with a man, she wouldn’t find it lightly.”

He told Citi News’ Umaru Sanda Amadu that, he went to London to visit a friend, but went with her daughter because she said she wanted to “look at London.”

“I was going to [London]  to visit a friend and she said she wanted she wanted to go with me, to have a look at London. She was 37 at the time we got the visa, but now she is 41.”

He added that, “the mistake I made was that, I should have collected the contact number and house address [of the uncle] and I forgot to do that, that is why she was able to get her way out. I knew she would come because I left the return ticket with my host. So about a week later when I realized wasn’t coming, I became apprehensive and told my host to look around and find out if she [the host] would be able to trace her. We tried our best but we couldn’t trace her.”

Mr. George Boakye further said that he was contacted by the Embassy in December 2016 over the stay of his daughter in that country, but he pleaded that they allowed him attend to election-related issues.

He noted that he finally made contact with his daughter after the election, and instructed her to return to Ghana over the potential harm her illegal stay in the UK could do to his reputation.

“After the elections, I intensified my search and I was able to get to one of her friends and I managed to get her address from her friend.  I called her and she responded, so on the phone I even cursed her, and told her that if she did not come to Ghana, it will not auger well for her because it will dent my image in the country so she should come,” he said.

–
By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post UK Visa Fraud: My daughter tricked me and overstayed – Former MP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

A confidential letter the British High Commission in Ghana wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye and sighted by citifmonline.com accused the MPs of facilitating the entry of some of their relatives to the UK using their Diplomatic Passports.

According to the letter, the MPs left these relatives to live in the UK illegally.

The letter cited Richard Acheampong, MP for Bia East in the Western Region, Joseph Benhazin Dahah, MP for Asutifi North in the Brong Ahafo region, Johnson Kwaku Adu, MP for Ahafo Ano South West, in the Ashanti Region and George Boakye, former MP for Asunafo South in the Brong Ahafo region for engaging in the fraudulent act.

“The British High Commission considers the actions completely unacceptable. In some cases these behaviors may arguably be criminal in nature,” the British High Commission noted.

The British High Commission further informed the Speaker that it “will henceforth only entertain and prioritize requests for visas from MPs, if they are made through the parliamentary protocol office who should verify that there is an official, parliamentary reason for the proposed visit.”

Three of the four, George Boakye, Johnson Kwaku Adu and Joseph Benhazin Dahah are members of the Majority in Parliament and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) while Richard Acheampong is a member of the opposition National Democratic Congress and the Minority.

This action by the British High Commission against the MPs is the first of such by any embassy or high commission in Ghana.

There has however been concern about the issuance of Diplomatic Passports to certain individuals in Ghana.

Below is the full letter from the British High Commission:

Dear Mr Speaker.

The British High Commission (BHC) would like, in confidence, to bring the following matters to your attention, regarding the apparent involvement of three serving MPs and one former MP in visa fraud directly affecting the United Kingdom.

In doing so, we note the powerful words in your impressive inaugural address as Speaker, to the effect that, for Members of Parliament, holding a Diplomatic Passport is both a privilege and responsibility which should not be abused: and that those who abused that trust would be appropriately dealt with.

In that regard:

1. On 11/09/2012, the then Honourable and now former MP for Asunafo South George BOAKYE applied for visas for himself and his 37-year old daughter, Joyce BOAKYE to visit a friend in London for 17 days The visas were granted on 14/09/2012. On 17/01/2013 Joyce BOAKYE travelled to the UK with her Honourable father. Joyce BOAKYE did not leave the UK with her father, but remained until 06/01/2017. In other words, she finally returned to Ghana just this month, having been in the UK illegally for over three years, and only then at our strong urging of Mr Boakye to bring her back. Mr Boakye is highly unlikely to be issued any further visas to visit the UK in the next ten years for his role in facilitating his daughter’s travel to the UK, including should he be re-elected to Parliament in a subsequent election.

2. On 27/11/2015 the Honourable MP for Bia East Richard ACHEAMPONG applied for a UK visa using Diplomatic Passport number DX001490. The Hon ACHEAMPONG stated in his application form that he would travel to the UK for a two week holiday with his “wife” Esther TIWAA. On 10/12/2015 Mr ACHEAMPONG and Ms TIWAA were issued with UK visas. On 24/12/2015 Esther TIWAA travelled to the UK, but alone: the Hon ACHEAMPONG did not accompany her as both his and her visa applications said that he would. She has hot left the UK since that time, and is therefore now there illegally. The Hon ACHEAMPONG did not declare the illegal presence of his wife in the UK until he was challenged with the facts by us on 10/10/2016 He then repeatedly promised me personally that he would bring documentation to prove that Esther TIWAA was, indeed, his wife, but has consistently failed to do so Neither has he been prepared to share any useful information to help us track down Ms TIWAA’s current whereabouts. Should Mr ACHEAMPONG now apply for another UK visa at any point up until 08/12/2025 his previous actions with regard to Esther TIWAA will weigh heavily against his application and he is likely to be refused.

3. On 06/04/2016, the Honourable MP for Ntotroso. Joseph Benhazin DAHAH applied for a UK visa using Diplomatic Passport number DX001459 to go on a two week holiday. The Hon DAHAH slated that he was travelling with his wife Gloria DANSU and his niece Beatrice MENSAH On 11/04/2016 the visas of the Hon DAHAH and Gloria DANSU were issued; the visa of his niece Beatrice MENSAH was refused. On 13/05/2016 the Hon DAHAH applied in another country for a visa to travel to the Republic of Ireland with his wife and daughter. The identity of his wife had changed from Gloria DANSU in the UK application to Ruyling APPAU in the Irish one. More significantly, a birth certificate was submitted showing that Beatrice MENSAH was now his daughter and not his niece as she had been described when applying to visit the UK. The Hon DAHAH’s UK visa was cancelled and a 10-year UK visa ban has been imposed on him. He has been informed of this.

4. On 20/06/2016 the Honourable MP for Ahafo Ano South West, Johnson Kwaku ADU applied for visas for himself, his wife Grace YEBOAH and their 16-year old daughter Emmanuella ADU in order to visit London for a ten day holiday. The Hon ADU applied using Diplomatic Passport number DX002267; all three visas were granted on 07/07/2016. The family of three travelled to the UK on 25/07/2016. The Hon ADU left the UK just two days later on 27/07/2016 leaving behind his wife and child, if that indeed is what they are, who have not left the UK to date and are therefore now illegally resident there. This is in some ways the most serious of the cases outlined in this letter, given the possibility that Hon ADU knowingly facilitated the movement of a minor – who cannot currently be traced – into the United Kingdom. That has been noted with alarm by UK authorities.

The British High Commission considers the actions outlined above to be completely unacceptable. In some cases, these behaviours may arguably be criminal in nature. As already outlined, administrative measures have been taken to ensure that the Honourable members mentioned here will most likely not be granted visas for the UK within the next 10 years. I should add that the Party affiliation of these MPs is, in this context, irrelevant to us: we simply state the facts as we have discovered them.

We are continuing to investigate whether any other current or former MPs have engaged in similar behaviour and will inform you, if we discover any further such cases.

Furthermore, the British High Commission has information that points strongly to some of the aforementioned Honourable members having used the same unofficial visa agent (also known as a‘Goro boy’) in their applications, specifically a gentleman called Appiah. We are sure that Mr Speaker shares our view that an institution as respected and vitally important as the Ghanaian Parliament should not be a location where unregistered visa agents approach Honourable Members and act as a conduit for them to participate in visa fraud. The British High Commission will happily cooperate fully with any parliamentary and law enforcement investigation into such agents operating in the vicinity of the Ghanaian Parliament.

Given what has transpired, the British High Commission would request the Ghanaian Parliament to be aware of the following:

a) we will henceforth only entertain and prioritise requests for visas from MPs, if they are made through the parliamentary protocol office who should verify that there is an official, parliamentary reason for the proposed visit;

b) however, MPs wishing to make private visits to the UK or to be accompanied on official visits by non-official relatives must apply online and through our Visa Application Centre at the Movenpick Hotel like any other applicant;

c) could you kindly confirm whether and why it is legitimate for ex-MPs to continue to possess and use diplomatic passports, in some cases for many years after they have ceased to be parliamentarians? In that regard, we would humbly like to ask, Mr Speaker, what procedures are in place to ensure that diplomatic passports are removed forthwith from all those 133 former Members who have just ceased to be MPs?

d) the net effect of such visa fraud by a very few Honourable MPs as outlined in this letter is to raise the bar of suspicion against all such applicants, which is of course regrettably to the huge disadvantage of those very many MPs who do act honourably at all times.

The British High Commission looks forward to a constructive relationship with yourself, your officers and the new Parliament in general and on specific issues, such as the work currently being sponsored by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy to bolster Parliament’s research capacities. We hope, at the same time, that measures taken by us all collectively will prevent any repeat of the sort of cases described in this letter. We would warmly welcome your views on the issues raised in this letter, both in regards to the specific cases and generic issues.

I am copying this letter to your Protocol Office, and to the Executive Secretary and Chief-of-Staff to the His Excellency President; and to the Ministers-designate of Foreign Affairs and National Security. We are also circulating this letter widely to other Diplomatic Missions which issue visas in Ghana in the expectation that some of them will consider similar action to ourselves against the above-named individuals.

May I take this opportunity to repeat to you assurances of our very high regard for you and your office; and to wish you, Mr Speaker, every success in your new role. Please be assured of our commitment to collaborate with you, and through you with Parliament, wherever we can usefully be of assistance.

Signed,

Jon Benjamin

British High Commissioner

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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