... Deported after 40 years in USA
Accra, Sept. 22, GNA - Twenty-four Ghanaians were on Thursday deported from the US on board a chartered aircraft after being in various immigration detention camps ranging from three days to about two years.

The deportees had committed various offences ranging from domestic violence, forgery and possession of controlled drugs.

Some of them, who said they were legally resident in the US looked traumatised and claimed they had not been allowed to contact their families in the US. They were also not informed of their deportation. Also on the aircraft were 42 Liberians, who were being deported to their country for similar offences.

Mr Richmond Oklu, 68, who had lived in the US for over 40 years, said he had five children in the US and served jail for domestic violence in 1988 after which he was given a 10-year probation. He said he was sent to jail again for a similar offence in 2003.

He said he was a veteran who served in Vietnam for the US and added that he had a 25-year-old son serving with the US army in Iraq.

"I am disturbed because as I stand here now my case is pending before a US court yet my wife and children do not even know that I am in Ghana."

Mr Joseph Owusu, 52, who said he had been in the US since 1977 and was a legal resident, said he was arrested for forgery and jailed 60 days after which he was deported.

Mr Owusu said he was picked up in 2004 and had been moved from one detention camp to another since then.

Stephen Abzinah, 66, who could hardly talk and limped, told the Ghana News Agency that he had been in the US since 1978. He said he was arrested and convicted for possessing controlled substance.