Visa Fraud Saga: I Did Not Use Fraudulent Means In Acquiring Visa — MP

Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo South, George Boakye has stressed that he did not use any fraudulent means whatsoever in acquiring for a visa contrary to the report by the UK government.

A confidential letter written to the speaker of Parliament Prof. Mike Oquaye by the UK government through the UK high commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Jon Benjamin cited that three MPs and a former MP have engaged in a visa fraud. The three MPs namely; Richard Acheampong, MP for Bia East in the Western Region; Joseph Benhazin Dahah, MP for Asutifi North (Ntotroso) in the Brong Ahafo Region; Johnson Kwaku Adu, MP for Ahafo Ano South West in the Ashanti Region and the former MP for Asunafo South in the Brong Ahafo Region are said to have violated the UK visa regulations by providing false information for their visa application and also facilitating visas of some relatives who have overstayed their visas in the UK.

Speaking in an interview with Akwasi Boateng, the host of 'Maakye' on Hot93.9fm, Mr. George Boakye stated that, he was saddened by the news of his involvement in a visa fraud indicating that he did not use fraudulent means in acquiring for a visa but rather he followed the laid down procedure hence the news was overblown.

According to him, he did not use a diplomatic passport to apply for a visa as it was stated in the letter but rather he used his own passport with the number 81050729 and also denied acquiring visa from unofficial visa agents known as 'Goro boys'. He emphasized that, he used legitimate means in acquiring for the visa with which he travelled with his daughter [Joyce Boakye].

"What worries me is the fraudulent aspect because i did not use any fraudulent means in acquiring a visa but rather I used the legally required method. In fact, I went to their visa office at Labone with my daughter where our finger prints were taken before we travelled. A few days before the expiration of the visa, my daughter informed me that her uncle wants her to visit him and I gave her permission to go but told her to return a day before our visa expire so we can come back to Ghana not knowing she was rather going to her boyfriend who promised to marry and acquire papers for her there. Knowing how I would probably react to her decision, she did not tell me about it and all efforts to reach her proved futile" He explained.

He noted that, the British High Commission learning about the situation contacted him. "I explained to them what happened and asked them for sometime to look for her but due to the elections, I didn't have enough time to look for her but after the elections, i incidentally saw my daughter's friend and asked her for her friend's number and with some persuasion, she gave me the number. I called my daughter and threatened her to return to Ghana and she heed to my words and came back. When she returned, I personally took her to the embassy where they interviewed her indoors for three hours and after that, I did not hear anything about it until now."

Admitting that his daughter overstayed in the UK, George Boakye revealed that, the reason why he did not report the issue to the UK High Commission was because he feared that his daughter would be arrested.

The letter also indicates that the above mentioned honourable members "will most likely not be granted visas for the UK within the next 10 years.