Accra, June 9, GNA - A Ghanaian investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas on Monday received an award from the US Department of State for being consistent in contributing to the elimination of human trafficking.

Mr. Anas' reports last year led to the uncovering of two major human trafficking rings in Ghana that exploited children, resulting in the rescue of underage girls that would otherwise have been sold into sexual slavery.

The US Department of State Award - Trafficking in Persons Award - was instituted last year to recognize individuals and institutions worldwide whose efforts had led to the elimination of trafficking in humans.

Mr Anas was among 12 persons who won the award worldwide for this year and one of two people in Africa to receive the honour from the US. He was given the award in absentia by the outgoing US Ambassador to Ghana, Ms. Pamela Bridgewater at the closing of a two-week US Department of Justice-sponsored Basic Anti-Human Trafficking course for stakeholders at the US Embassy compound in Accra.

The training Programme was aimed at promoting inter-agency collaboration, with the goal of building the capacity of stakeholders to combat human trafficking in the country. Over 120 officers drawn from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service, The Ghana Immigration Service, Customs, Exercise and Preventive Service, Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs received certificates.

Mr. Anas, in a speech read for him, thanked the US government for the recognition given his work. "The award has come as an encouragement to urge me to do more challenging and investigative stories to further improve the lives of people." The event was also used to officially present the US Department of State 2008 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report that cited Ghana as a major source, transit and destination country for children and women trafficked for the purposes of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation.

The report said women and children were trafficked for sexual exploitation from Ghana to Western Europe, from Nigeria through Ghana to Western Europe, and from Burkina Faso through Ghana to Cote d'Ivoire. Children are trafficked to and from other West African countries like Gambia, Togo, Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire for the same purposes. The US Congress requires the US Secretary of State to submit an annual report on trafficking in persons designed to stimulate action and create partnerships around the world in the fight against slavery. This year's report analyses anti-trafficking efforts from March 2007 to March 2008. Ghana government received a second tier placement, meaning that it was working towards full compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. The report, however, noted that trafficking within Ghana was more prevalent than trans-national trafficking, with the majority of the victims being children.

It said both boys and girls were trafficked within Ghana for forced labour, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, in agriculture and the fishing industry, as porters and for street hawking. Additionally, the country is also becoming a destination for sex tourists.

The report said even though the government of Ghana had not fully complied with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficked persons, it was making "significant efforts to do so". "While Ghana took some law enforcement steps to address sex trafficking through police raids in the last year, there were limited investigations and prosecutions and no convictions of perpetrators of this crime," it said.

The report also cited corruption among law enforcement officials as an obstacle to effective anti-trafficking measures in Ghana. Ghana prohibits any form of trafficking and the law prescribes a minimum penalty of five years' imprisonment for all forms of trafficking.

The report recommended that Ghana strengthened its overall efforts to prosecute and convict traffickers, investigate and close down brothels selling children into prostitution and to prosecute brothel operators.

It also recommended the suspension of government officials accused of complicity in their official duties in any case of trafficking until such official is prosecuted or cleared of such allegations. The report recommended the development of a system for providing secure care for rescued sex trafficked victims, the creation of increased shelter space for victims, training of government social workers in identifying trafficked victims among girls and women in prostitution.

The report also prescribed increased coordination between the police and government social workers in conducting trafficking raids and rescue.

Ms. Bridge water said even though Ghana was placed at the second tier in this year's report, the US commended the strong efforts the country was making to eliminate trafficking in humans. She noted that the setting up of the Anti-Trafficking Unit at the CID headquarters in the country reflected government's relentless efforts to address the issue. Ms. Bridgewater said the successful prosecution and conviction of traffickers would contribute to the larger goal of the elimination of human trafficking.

She pledged the continuous support of the US to assist Ghana to combat human trafficking.