MP Arrested For Visa Fraud

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ejura Sekyere-Dumasi Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Mr Atakora Sampson, was on Tuesday October 19, 2004 arrested by the Document and Visa Unit of the Police CID on the premises of the American Embassy, when he attempted to secure American visas for his two alleged children with forged birth certificates.

The police was informed after the fraudulent birth documents were detected.

The police have laid hands on a number of documents including two introductory letters from the Mount Carmel Educational Institute in Ejura which stated the children's status as pupils in the school.

Preliminary enquiries at the Births and Deaths Registry in Accra have confirmed that the two birth certificates were faked.

Mr Atakora Sampson has meanwhile been granted a self-recognisance bail while the police investigations continue.