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General News of Monday, 23 December 2013

Source: The Informer

Immigration Boss accused of Visa Fraud

President John Dramani Mahama, has been scratching his grey skull for the past few days.

This has to do with a petition from a middle-level Immigration Officer, Mr. Joseph Anthony Ayienaab, who is alleging that his boss, Commissioner of Police (COP) Dr. Peter Wiredu, together with Commissioner of Police (COP) in-charge of Headquarters Administration, Rose Bio Atinga had set him up as their errand-boy in a huge visa fraud.

Now that the alarm has blown; the two senior police officers have abandoned the errand-boy, interdicted him together with those who fell victim to the alleged visa fraud. That is not all they have been chasing him for refund of their money.

In the petition chanced upon by your authoritative, The Informer, Dr. Peter Wiredu, according to this middle-level officer, asked that he look out for prospective travellers who might need visa to travel to the United States of America, since he (Wiredu) could facilitate the acquisition of the visas for them to travel; which he, Anthony, obliged, and managed to get 159 prospective travellers needing visa.

Mr. Joseph Anthony Ayienaab revealed that his boss charges between GH¢1,500.00 and GH¢2,500.00 each, for acquisition of the visa.

He alleged also that his boss took GH¢1,200.00 from 22 prospective recruits into the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

The Informer publishes below, unedited, the petition addressed to His Excellency John Dramani Mahama by this disturbed officer who is seeking justice.

PETITION AGAINST DR. PETER ALFRED WIREDU, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF GHANA IMMIGRATION AUTHORITY, AND COP ROSE ATINGA BIO FOR UNFAIR TREATMENT

I am a Deputy Superintendent of Immigration (DSI) stationed at the headquarters, Accra. I was transferred from the Western Region sometime in 2011 to the Headquarters.

When I was in the Western Region, I had a friend by name Kofi Marfo who is the nephew of Dr. Peter Wiredu, the present Director General of the Ghana Immigration Service. Upon my transfer to the Headquarters, Kofi Marfo introduced me to his uncle, Dr. Peter Wiredu, who is my boss and I have been running errands for him since.

Your Excellency, sometime ago, Dr. Wiredu asked me to look out for prospective travelers who needed Visas to travel to the United States of America since according to him he could facilitate the acquisition of Visas for them to travel. I obliged and within some time I was able to get 159 prospective travelers for him. Dr. Wiredu also asked me to find people he could recruit into the Ghana Immigration Service.

Dr. Wiredu demanded between GH¢1, 500.00 and Gh¢2, 500.00 each for the acquisition of the visa and Ghc1, 200.00 from the 22 prospective recruits into the Ghana Immigration Service. All monies paid were handed over to Dr. Wiredu. Upon receipts of the monies, Dr. Wiredu failed to procure the Visas for the people and also failed to recruit the 22 people into the Ghana Immigration Service.

The result is that I came under constant attack by the people both at home and in the office and therefore could not go to work any longer. I reported the issue to Dr. Wiredu who promised to refund the monies to the people but he has failed or refused to do so.

Your Excellency, when the issue became too difficult for me to handle due to the fact that Dr. Wiredu decided not to pick my calls again, I decided to confide in a friend to assist me but unknown to me this friend also knows Dr. Wiredu very well. In fact I told my friend that I wanted to seek the assistance of the media in resolving the issue with Dr. Wiredu.

Unfortunately my friend leaked the information to Dr. Wiredu and he quickly lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department {C.I.D} of the Ghana Police Service and I was arrested. I was detained for four days before my statement was taken and I was eventually granted bail.

Later, I was told by the investigator on the case that there was going to be a meeting between Dr. Wiredu, my-self and COP Rose Atinga Bio, whom I got to know knew something about the Visa and the recruitment exercise organized by Dr. Wiredu through me. The meeting never came on because the two of them failed to turn up any time we were supposed to meet. Later I was informed by the investigator that the meeting was postponed indefinitely. Your Excellency, as at now, Dr. Wiredu has not settled his indebtedness to the people and would not pick my calls.

COP Rose Atinga Bio is also not picking my calls. However I have been put on half monthly salary although I have not been officially interdicted and no disciplinary proceedings has been commenced against me either.

Your Excellency, I am deeply saddened by this development and I feel cheated and embarrassed by the behaviour of my boss Dr. Peter Wiredu.

Your Excellency, I therefore wish to petition you as the President of this country whom I know believe in Justice and fairness to order full scale investigation into the matter and cause justice to prevail.

I hope my Petition will receive early attention to enable me resume work and cater for my family.

I remain

Yours faithfully,