Court jails three Cameroonians over immigration and documentation crimes

Three Cameroonians who underwent the process of acquiring Ghanaian passports with 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 GH¢4,000 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 a month each in prison.

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 a permit.  

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 GH¢30,000 with two sureties. 

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

The prosecution told the court that the convicts got Ghanaian passports to travel to Europe in search of greener pastures. They were therefore connected to one Rabiu, a Ghanaian who resides in Switzerland. 

Rabiu assisted them to acquire the Ghanaian Birth Certificates and Ghana National Identity Cards (Ghana Cards), the court heard. 

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 the 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 the Aflao border post and have since remained in the country without a permit. 

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