Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 17 November 2010

Source: GNA

Ghanaian Immigration Officer manhandles Togolese woman

Aflao, Nov 17, GNA-Yawa Akakpo, 23, a Togolese woman who was on Tuesday allegedly manhandled by a Ghanaian Immigration Officer at the Ghana-Togo border is on admission at the New Hope Hospital at Viepe-Aflao.

Dr Justice Nyarko-Mensah, Medical Director told the Ghana News Agenc= y (GNA) on Wednesday that Miss Akakpo was rushed in by some officers of the Ghana Immigration Service in bad shape, speechless, but was responding to treatment. He confirmed that Yawa Akakpo had been to his outfit earlier on Tuesday, and tested positive for pregnancy and that another test would be done in due course to verify the state of the pregnancy. Yawa Akakpo speaking to the GNA from her hospital bed said she was returning from the Hospital to her Nyekonakpoe suburb in Lome at around 1= 700 hours after a checkup when the incident happened.

She alleged that at the border, a male Immigration Officer demanded that she entered a room to pay a tip of Ghc 3.00.

Miss Akakpo said as she brought out hospital papers to support her p= lea to be spared as she had no money the Immigration Officer pulled her into the room saying we (Immigration Officers) don't eat papers. She said an Immigration Officer attempted to intercede on her behalf but all pleas went unheeded as he chased her and violently pushed her to the ground.

Miss Akakpo said a lady commuter helped her to her feet, only to realize that she (Akakpo) was bleeding. She said the officers then quickly moved her to the Immigration Offi= ce where she was given pads to stop the bleeding and later rushed her to the New Hope Hospital in their duty vehicle. Police sources confirmed the story and said they were investigating. Mr Thomas Antom, Comptroller of Immigration in charge of Aflao, coul= d neither confirm nor deny the story but appealed to the Press to exercise restraint and wait for a briefing later. A crises meeting of the Border Security Committee was said to be goi= ng on over the issue while National Security Operatives made frantic efforts= to prevent the media from getting the facts. The Officials of the Ghana Immigration Service would not comment on the issue.