General News of Monday, 23 December 2013

Source: Francis Palmdeti , Head of Public Affairs, GIS

Visa Fraud: Immigration Boss reacts

WHO IS THE REAL BRAIN BEHIND AYIENAAB’S “PETITION” AGAINST THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION???

ARE THESE ORCHESTRATIONS OF DISGRUNTLED OFFICERS NO MORE WITH THE SERVICE?

The attention of the Ghana Immigration Service [GIS] has been drawn to a publication in some private newspapers in respect of a so-called petition by one Mr Joseph Anthony Ayienaab to the President. We would not have given it the dignity of a response but for the fact that, the supposed petition seems not to have been authored by the said gentleman, considering the numerous gaps in the petition, but rather the handiwork of those same faceless individuals who have sought to work tirelessly against the interest of the Service and the Director in particular.

It must be placed on record that, the said officer has a number of disciplinary issues pending against him. The only reason why he has not appeared before a trial panel is because he is presently being investigated by the Police. The GIS has received quite a number of complaints from various quarters against him, all bordering on fraud. One such complaint is a debt he has incurred to the tune of GHC 25,610.00 to a Car Rental company [Progressive Alfat Car Rentals] which is also being handled by the Police. Joseph Ayienaab is currently on interdiction and the disciplinary orders indicate that a person on interdiction is not entitled to full salary until the case has been fully determined.

Regarding the allegations made in the “petition”, we wish to state that they are total fabrications, baseless and a figment of someone’s imagination.

GAPS IN THE SO-CALLED PETITION

It is quite curious that a person who claims to know the Director very well would totally get his name wrong. The Director’s middle name is not ALFRED but ALEX. Similarly, a senior immigration officer of the “petitioner’s” calibre, one who has worked with the GIS for 20 years does not know that the organization he works with is not referred to as “GHANA IMMIGRATION AUTHORITY” but Ghana Immigration Service. He also refers to the head of the GIS in his “petition” as DIRECTOR-GENERAL when every serving officer knows that the head of the institution is referred to as DIRECTOR and NOT DIRECTOR-GENERAL.

Moreover, the so-called petitioner officer claims that he was transferred to the Headquarters “sometime in 2011”. It is strange that a senior officer of the Service cannot state with accuracy when he was posted to his current station. If indeed this so-called petition is the handiwork of the said officer, then one could easily take him for a person who is disoriented or whose state of mind appears to be disturbed.

COP Dr. P.A Wiredu by dint of hard work and humility has built a remarkable reputation for himself with an unblemished record with the Ghana Police Service both home and abroad. His understanding and belief in the law is profound and is not the kind to break it willfully.

SIGNED: ACOI FRANCIS PALMDETI

HEAD OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

TEL: 0277233102