Bawku MP Is Still A British Citizen

The UK Border Agency of the Home Office, which is responsible for citizenship issues confirmed on Wednesday, November 3, 2010 that as far as their records are concerned, Mr. Adamou Sakande, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku is still a British National.

A document from the Border Agency seen by The Enquirer states that claims by the MP that he renounced his nationality is not true and that “according to Nationality database Mr. Adamou Sakande is still British” The Agency also noted that certain documents presented by the MP as proof that he has renounced his British citizenship prior to contesting the 2008 parliamentary election “are not genuine”.

On October 8, 2010, Adamu Daramani, a.k.a. Adamou Dramani Sakande the MP for Bawku Central, tendered three documents marked as exhibit 2, 3, 4 as evidence that as of October 15, 2008, he did not hold British and Burkinabe passports. Documents tendered by the MP included purported correspondence between him and his United Kingdom-based lawyer, the correspondence between his lawyers in Ghana and United Kingdom, British Overseas Territory Citizenship. EXHIBIT 2-NOT GENUINE

The MP presented a document marked as Exhibit 2 to an Accra Court, which exhibit was supposed to be a letter from the UK Home Office dated October 24, 2008, to a law firm called Stanley Adams & Co of 58 Design Works, Park Parade, London NW104 HT.

The said letter claimed that the UK Home Office had received documents in respect of his application for renunciation and that a fee of £385 he paid had been acknowledged.

But the UK Border Agency, responding to this claim has said that after checking through their Nationality database, there is no evidence on record that in 2008, the Home Office received such a fee from Mr. A. Sakande. The Home Office further revealed that the reference letter being quoted by the MP as the reference number for the renunciation documentation rather relates to a Nationality Application received by the office in 2004.

EXHIBIT -3 NOT GENUINE

The MP also submitted to a court in Ghana a document marked as Exhibit 3, which he claimed was the renunciation application form he filed with the UK Home Office.

Whereas the UK Home Office admits that Exhibit 3 is indeed a Home Office Renunciation document, they noted that the registered stamp on the bottom right corner is not a stamp used by the office and also there is no serial number of renunciation written on the form. The office noted that the applicants name is Adamu whilst the Exhibit-4 says the name is Adamou.

EXHIBIT-4 NOT GENUINE

Exhibit 4 is a purported letter written from the Home Office to Mr. Adamou Dramani Sakande in October 2008, stating that his renunciation status was now complete. The letter was supposedly signed by one Suzanne Jones (Citizenship Ceremonies Support Team).

The said exhibit stated that “I am writing to inform you that the above name is now registered as having recounted British status. Enclosed is a Declaration of renunciation bearing a stamp of registration. This confirms date on which the applicant ceased to be a British National under section 12 (1) of British Nationality Act 1981”

But the British Home Office said that the purported Susanne Jones, who issued the letter which was presented as evidence in Ghana, has never worked in the Citizenship Ceremonies Support Team. The Home Office says there is no embossment over the signature which is standard practice in Citizenship Ceremony Support Team.

The home office therefore has concluded that all the evidence presented in support of the MP’s alleged renunciation of his British passport prior to running for the office of parliament is not genuine.