Three Cameroonians to serve jail time over immigration and documentation crimes

Three Cameroonians who underwent the process of acquiring Ghanaian passports with their Ghana National Identity Cards to travel to Europe, have been jailed and fined by a Madina District Court.

Tibab Beltus Mbachick, Mbaku Ransson, Mba Dieudonne Akuro were fined GHC4,000 each and they are to serve a month’s imprisonment each.

The court presided over by Rosemary Abena Gyimah, ordered that the convicts in default of the fine should serve three months imprisonment each.

The three Cameroonians pleaded guilty to attempting to obtain Ghanaian passports by false declaration, obtaining Ghana Birth Certificates by false declaration and obtaining Ghana National Identity Cards by false declaration and entering and remaining in Ghana without permit.

The court fined them to pay GHC1,000 on each in default serve 12 months jail terms each of the charges meaning they were to pay a total of GHC4,000 each. Additionally, the court sentenced them to serve a month imprisonment each. Sentences to run consecutively.

Mohammed Abdul Kadir Halid, who acted as a father, and being held on charge of abetment of crime to wit, attempting to obtain Ghanaian Passports by false declaration.

Halid pleaded not guilty, and he was admitted to bail in the sum of GHC30,000 with two sureties to be justified.

The matter has been adjourned to October 20, for the Case Management Conference (CMC).

The court has also directed prosecution led by Assistant Inspector Segbefia Jerry Foster and Assistant Superintendent of Immigration Appiah Kusi Kuffour to file their disclosures.

Prosecution’s case was that Mbachick is a 25-year-old footballer, Ransson is also a 25-year-old trader while Akuor is a 24-year-old painter.

It said Halid a 50-year-old taxi-driver and a Ghanaian.

The prosecutor told the court that the convicts were undergoing the process of acquiring Ghanaian Passports when officials of the Ghana Immigration Service suspected them of not being Ghanaians.

Prosecution said the convicts were therefore referred to the National Enforcement Section of the Ghana Immigration Service for further investigations.

It said information on the convicts’ revealed that they were all Cameroonians born to Cameroonian parents and the information on their Ghana Birth Certificates were false.

Prosecution told the court that the convicts wanted to Ghanaian passports to travel to Europe in search of greener pastures. They were therefore connected to one Rabiu, a Ghanaian by their uncle who resides in Switzerland.

It said the said Rabiu assisted them to acquire the Ghanaian Birth Certificates with entry number 4116, 4111, 4595 and Ghana National Identity Cards (Ghana Cards) with personal ID numbers GHA- 729292726-2, GHA-729292701-5, and GHA- 729292665-6 respectively.

Prosecution said Rabiu brought and completed online passport application forms and booked an appointment date for them to appear in person to go through the final process.

It said Halid, who is a friend to Rabiu represented the convicts as their father.

According to prosecution, Halid knew them to be Cameroonians yet gave them Ghanaian names to conceal their nationality and escorted them to the Passport Office.

Prosecution said investigations revealed that the convicts were not Mohammed Abdul Kadir, Yusif Abdul Kadir and Ibrahim Abdul Kadir, as stated on their birth certificates.

It said further investigations revealed that the convicts entered the country through an unauthorized border crossing point around Aflao border post and have since remained in the country without permit.

According to prosecution, all efforts to get the said Rabiu arrested have proved futile.