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Visa fraud allegations may dent Parliament's image- MPs fear

By MyJoyOnline
General News Visa fraud allegations may dent Parliament's image- MPs fear
APR 26, 2017 LISTEN

Members of Parliament are worried recent visa fraud allegations against colleague MPs will further dent the battered image of the legislative body.

The House just endured a painful first quarter bribery allegations which had one of its MPs Mahama Ayariga being forced to apologise for peddling rumours of bribery with no evidence to back it.

Just when the legislative arm is beginning to repair its dented image, a new scandal has emerged in the second quarter with four MPs accused of engaging in visa fraud.

The four, Bia East MP Richard Acheampong, MP for Asutifi North Joseph Benhazin Dahah, MP for Ahafo Ano South West Johnson Kwaku Adu, and George Boakye, former MP for Asunafo South in the Bono Ahafo region were accused of using their diplomatic passports to facilitate the acqusition of UK visas to individuals some of whom went 'missing' in the UK.

In a letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, British High Commissioner Jon Benjamin said the MPs breached UK's immigration laws and risk being denied entry into the country for the next 10 years.

"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," the letter said.

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L-R: Johnson Kwaku Adu, Richard Acheampong, Joseph Benhazin Dahah and Asunafo South George Boakye.

"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 letter added.

MP for Asutifi North, Joseph Benhazin DAHAH had given different names and identities of women who he passed as his wife in a desperate bid to get them visas.

British High Commissioner John Benjamin told Joy News the four failed to cooperate with the Commission after circumventing immigration rules.

He accused some of the MPs of betraying the trust the UK has in them.

"We have an absolute responsibility to act in accordance with UK immigration laws and will not turn a blind eye to such behavior," he said.

The Speaker of Parliament is beginning a probe into the allegations made by the British High Commissioner.

Commenting on the scandal, some of the MPs told Joy News' Parliamentary correspondent Joseph Opoku Gakpo they would rather wait for a conclusive investigations to be conducted into the matter.

They do not want to pass judgment on the allegations at least for now.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah

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