The Spokesperson for a new political group calling itself ‘The New Force’, Shalimar Abbiusi, is on the verge of being deported from Ghana for allegedly obtaining a permit through fraud.
The young woman was rearrested yesterday by officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) just moments after she was discharged by a Kaneshie Magistrate Court.
Information gathered by DAILY GUIDE indicates that her permit had been revoked by the GIS although her counsel, Francis Xavier Sosu said he had not seen a copy of the said revocation letter, neither was the court shown a copy.
The Belgian was before the court for using a forged document in securing a permit to stay in Ghana by falsely claiming to be a student of Ghana Christian University College.
Assistant Commissioner of Immigration, Adolf Aboagye, yesterday told the court that he had instruction to withdraw the case “and come back at the appropriate time.”
Her counsel, Francis Xavier Sosu, said while they believe the prosecution had the power to withdraw the case, it would be appropriate for the court to order the release of the suspect’s iPhone 13 mobile phone to her.
He said the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) had confirmed that there was nothing incriminating on the phone, hence he urged the court to order for its release as it is a personal property of the lady.
Mr. Sosu also indicated that he was not ignorant of the steps being taken by the state to deport Ms. Abbiusi, but they will have a look at her documents and advice her to regularise her visa if need be.
Mr. Aboagye, on the other hand, indicated that once the suspect was discharged, all the items that were seized from her would be returned to her, but stressed that the said mobile phone was not in the custody of the GIS but the NIB.
“It is about credibility. If you are given a permit that you are a student of a school which you are not and you accept, your credibility is at stake,” the prosecutor added.
Her Worship Nana Abena Owusu Amenyo, the Magistrate, struck out the case as withdrawn and ordered the NIB to release the mobile phone to the lady.
Ms. Abbiusi was, however, rearrested and escorted into a van that was waiting to take her to the Immigration Headquarters.
Her mother, who escorted her to the court, was seen weeping as she and her husband were denied entry into the van that carried their daughter away.
The Belgian, who was acting as the spokesperson for the new political group, was granted GH¢20,000 bail with two sureties by a Kaneshie District Court last week.
She was arrested by officers of the Ghana Immigration Service a fortnight ago for allegedly obtaining a student permit by false declaration in order to stay in Ghana.
She was initially remanded by the court when she made her first appearance before it, after the court gave the GIS some time to conclude its investigations.
Ms. Abbiusi was before the court for one count of obtaining a student permit by false declaration contrary to Section 52(1)(i) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573), to which she pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution’s Case
The prosecution’s fact before the court state that the GIS’s attention was drawn to the activities of the accused on social media, and was arrested after she was invited by the Head of the National Enforcement Section at the GIS headquarters concerning her immigration status in the country.
The facts indicate that the accused was found in some short video in circulation introducing the emergence of a new political group described as ‘The New Force’, and introduced herself as a spokesperson for the group.
It said investigations revealed that the accused person first came to Ghana on September 4, 2017, through the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and had since been a regular visitor to the country until 2018 when she became a resident following her supposed admission as a student of the Ghana Christian University College.
Court documents indicate that checks from the college revealed that she had never been a student there, and documents purportedly issued by the college to support her application for a residence permit were allegedly forged.
Source:dailyguidenetwork.com
