Togolese fined for obtaining Ghanaian documents illegally

A 26-year-old driver was on Monday sentenced to a fine of GH¢2,880.00 for obtaining multiple Ghanaian docu­ments illegally.

Komitse Senyo Egle, a Togo­lese, was charged with obtaining by false declaration, a Ghanaian birth certificate, Ghanaian National Iden­tification card, and driver’s licence.

He was also accused of entering and remaining in Ghana without immigration permit.

Egle was sentenced to a fine of GH¢60 penalty units on each count, and sentence is to run con­secutively.

In default, he would spend 24 weeks imprisonment, six weeks each, on each count.

The accused admitted the offences and he was sentenced by the Kaneshie District Court Two presided over by Mrs Ama Adoma­ko Kwakye.

“I obtained the birth certificate to enable me further my education at the Ghana Institute of Journal­ism and also use the Ghana card to register my sim card. I am sorry,” Egle pleaded for mitigation.

The prosecution told the court that Egle, now convict, is a Togo­lese driver, arrested by Immigration Officials at Asuogyamang in the Eastern Region, after he failed to stop for a routine check at the barrier.

The court heard that during questioning, the accused claimed he was from Western Togoland, and a search conducted on him revealed that he had in his possession a Ghana birth certificate, Ghana Card, Ghanaian driving licence, and a Togolese voter’s card.

The prosecution said Egle was referred to the National Enforce­ment Section at the Immigration Headquarters for investigations.

Information on the birth certif­icate of the convict suggested he was born at La Polyclinic in the Greater Accra Region to Kudjo Egle and Afi Fegan, both Ghanaians.

Investigations, the prosecution said, revealed that the convict was a Togolese born in Kuma-Adama in Togo to Kudjo Egle and Afi Fegan, both Togolese.

The court heard that Egle claimed he came to Ghana to fur­ther his education.

The prosecution said he stayed with his sister-in-law, Addo Patience,in Tema where he learnt masonry and later diverted into driving.

The court heard that Egle also claimed that he had wanted to reg­ister his sim card to avoid it being deactivated.

The prosecution said Egle discussed his intension with Ellen Sowah, who assisted him to acquire the Ghana birth certificate.

The court heard that the convict used the birth certificate to acquire the Ghana card during the second phase of the mass registration in 2022.

Prosecution said investigations revealed that Egle arrived in Ghana in 2018, through an unauthorised crossing point around the Aflao border post, in the Volta Region, and had remained in the country without any Immigration permit.