By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Starr FmStarr FmStarr Fm
  • Home
  • Election Hub
  • General
    GeneralShow More
    A/R: Peprah refutes claims of obstructing Police Anti-Galamsey operation
    July 12, 2025
    Oil funds for ‘Big Push’ will be efficiently used – Mahama to PIAC
    July 12, 2025
    President Mahama appoints Principal of BTPOTC to Allied Health Professions Council Board
    July 12, 2025
    Adutwum condemns Ablekuma North violence, calls for urgent investigation
    July 12, 2025
    Ablekuma North attacks threaten Ghana’s democratic foundations – minority warns
    July 12, 2025
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    Mayekoo doubles donations to African causes with new matching fund campaign 
    July 10, 2025
    Government inaugurates new NIB board, announces plan to recapitalise bank
    July 9, 2025
    Ghana’s gold now powers cedi stability – President Mahama
    July 8, 2025
    VRA sets the benchmark in African public procurement
    July 8, 2025
    IMF Executive Board approves $370 million disbursement for Ghana
    July 7, 2025
  • Politics
    PoliticsShow More
    Oil funds for ‘Big Push’ will be efficiently used – Mahama to PIAC
    July 12, 2025
    Adutwum condemns Ablekuma North violence, calls for urgent investigation
    July 12, 2025
    Ablekuma North attacks threaten Ghana’s democratic foundations – minority warns
    July 12, 2025
    Ablekuma North: NDC makes history after Ewurabena Aubynn wins rerun
    July 11, 2025
    NDC thugs incite violence at Ablekuma North rerun – Minority alleges
    July 11, 2025
  • Entertainment
    EntertainmentShow More
    Sim Majorley: Korea, Ghana to share cultures through stage production
    July 11, 2025
    I took a pause to gather strength- Kwesi Slay
    July 8, 2025
    Kinaata questions TGMA credibility over ‘Record of the Year’ snub
    July 7, 2025
    Ghana grows movie premiere ignites new thinking among youth in Ashaiman
    July 7, 2025
    “I will feature Sarkodie at the right time” – Kofi Kinaata
    July 6, 2025
  • Sports
    SportsShow More
    Tottenham secure Mohammed Kudus in high-profile transfer deal
    July 10, 2025
    Ghana, Nigeria share spoils in thrilling opener of 2025 WAFU U20 Boys Cup
    July 10, 2025
    Otumfuo rallies mining sector to support revamp of Ashanti sports facilities
    July 10, 2025
    Liverpool’s Ambitious Summer: Chairman Predicts Big Moves as Champions Build a Stronger Squad
    July 10, 2025
    Kofi Adams undertakes inspection of Baba Yara Stadium
    July 9, 2025
  • Technology
    TechnologyShow More
    Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7: A pocket-sized AI powerhouse with a new edge-to-edge flexwindow
    July 10, 2025
    Real Quantum Dot Technology in Samsung QLED TVs
    June 29, 2025
    GCAA and South Korea sign deal to advance Ghana’s Drone sector
    June 25, 2025
    Onafriq, PAPSS partner to launch cross-border payment services in Ghana 
    June 20, 2025
    Yellow Card, Visa partner to accelerate stablecoin adoption across emerging economies
    June 19, 2025
  • International
    InternationalShow More
    47th AU Forum: Ablakwa criticizes $1.2m AfCFTA allocation as ‘highly insufficient’
    July 10, 2025
    Minority demands audit over $1.2m passport relaunch cost and delays
    July 9, 2025
    Minority demands compensation for citizens stranded by US embassy closure
    July 9, 2025
    Foreign Minister Okudzeto Ablakwa and Chinese Ambassador Tong Defa sign $30 million grant agreement for Aflao market
    Ghana secures $30 million Chinese grant for Aflao market project
    July 9, 2025
    The end of USAID is not catastrophic for Africa – Dr. Brian Reuben
    July 8, 2025
  • Factometer
Search
© 2024 EIB Network Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Four Ghana MPs fingered in UK visa fraud
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Starr FmStarr Fm
Font ResizerAa
  • Headlines
  • Election Hub
  • General
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Factometer
Search
  • Headlines
  • Election Hub
  • General
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Factometer
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 EIB Network Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
GeneralHeadlines

Four Ghana MPs fingered in UK visa fraud

Starrfm.com.gh By Starrfm.com.gh Published April 26, 2017
Share
SHARE

The UK High Commission in Ghana has fingered three sitting lawmakers and a former one in alleged visa fraud and have been slapped with a 10-year travelling ban to the UK.

According to the High Commission, the MPs used their diplomatic passports to apply for visas for persons traveling to the UK and they never returned.

The MPs are Richard Acheampong, NDC MP for Bia East in the Western region (NDC), Joseph Benhazin Dahah, NPP MP for Ntotroso in the Bono Ahafo region, Johnson Kwaku Adu, NPP MP for Ahafo Ano South West in the Ashanti region and George Boakye, former MP for Asunafo South in the Bono Ahafo region.

The UK High Commissioner Jon Benjamin in a letter dated January 20, 2017 to the Speaker of Parliament Mike Oquaye said: “The British High Commission considers the actions [of the MPs] completely unacceptable. In some cases these behaviours may arguably be criminal in nature.”

He added: “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.”

Below is the letter addressed to the Speaker:

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 not 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 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

You Might Also Like

A/R: Peprah refutes claims of obstructing Police Anti-Galamsey operation

Oil funds for ‘Big Push’ will be efficiently used – Mahama to PIAC

President Mahama appoints Principal of BTPOTC to Allied Health Professions Council Board

Adutwum condemns Ablekuma North violence, calls for urgent investigation

Ablekuma North attacks threaten Ghana’s democratic foundations – minority warns

TAGGED:parliamentUKvisa
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print
Share
Previous Article We’ve not raided Vanderpuije’s home – Asset Task Force
Next Article Uber to introduce flying cars by 2020

Starr 103.5FM

Starr FmStarr Fm
Follow US
© 2024 EIB Network Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
newsletter icon
Join Us!

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest in news, podcasts etc..

[mc4wp_form]
Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
adbanner
AdBlock Detected
Our site is an advertising supported site. Please whitelist to support our site.
Okay, I'll Whitelist
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?