Barbados: Two Ghanaians arrested, others on the run

Two Ghanaians among seven West Africans who refused to surrender to immigration authorities three months ago are now behind bars.

Alfred Kwasi Acheampong, 36, and Patrick Ofori-Berko, 24, were captured recently during a police operation, according to a Barbados website, Nation News.

Both fugitives have since been detained at HMP Dodds, St Philip.
The publication quotes Chief Immigration Officer Gilbert Greaves as saying that no charges would be brought against the two, however they would be kept 'in a safe and secure environment until we can find the others and make arrangements for them to return to their homeland".

The remaining five wanted men, who were part of an original 80 West Africans who arrived in Barbados in February for a cultural two-week visit, but were left stranded after their chartered Ghana International Airlines plane failed to return for them.

They have been identified as Augustine Addae, 30; Francis Anyimadu, 25; Francis Asare, 43 Ghanaians and Nigerians John Oladayo Popoola, 36 and Francis Sydney, 43.

Almost two months ago, a chartered flight said to cost the Barbados Government more than $600,000 took the stranded Africans back to Accra after several weeks of controversy surrounding the circumstances of their visit to the Caribbean.

As a result, Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson ordered a full-scale investigation into the matter headed by Retired Deputy Commissioner of Police Charles Blades.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Senator Maxine McClean, had made it clear to the seven missing from the original batch that if they did not present themselves to the Immigration Department in Bridgetown, they would be deemed illegal immigrants and subject to the laws of Barbados regarding their status.

Those who were repatriated had their status regularised before their departure.