Ghana’s intelligence service, the Bureau of National Investigations, BNI, which has come under criticism lately for its unorthodox methods, is again in the news. The BNI has been linked to the detention of a British-South African citizen, Miss Caroline Jackson, last night at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, when she attempted to board a plane back home to South Africa.

In what clearly sends the wrong signals to foreign investors, Miss Caroline Jackson, narrated her experience at the hands of immigration official, who stopped her from boarding a South Africa bound flight last night.

According to her, as soon as she put her passport on the counter for immigration formalities, the immigration officer took the passport and told her to follow him. “We went to see his boss who told me that I cannot travel. They did not give me reasons but detained me at the Airport.” Miss Jackson also had her passport seized.

Enquiries at the BNI yielded no explanation. The director of BNI, Jones Afari, said he would not comment. A source, however, confirmed the name of the official who seized Miss Jackson’s passport. It is believed that Miss Jackson’s encounter with the BNI had to do with her two-year contract with the La Palm Royal Beach hotel as Front Desk Manager. Her contract expired on the 1st March and she was on her way back home to South Africa.

Officials at the hotel confirmed the story and said both the British High Commission and the South African Embassy have been informed of the incident. Joy FM also learnt that the General Manager of the hotel, Richard Lander, was also asked to surrender his British passport to the BNI.

He refused and rather sent it to the High commission. For now the issue has assumed a diplomatic nature as government officials attempt to explain away this encounter which, could prove an embarrassment to a government that is trying to build bridges with its development partners.