A Sekondi District Court B has convicted and sentenced 24 of the 31 ECOWAS nationals suspected to have been involved in prostitution and other immigration related offences in the Western region.
The suspects were charged with Illegal Entry and Illegal Stay contrary to Section 20(1) and 52(1)(D) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573).
The Western region Command of the GIS in a release on Monday, October 16, 2023, indicated the arrest of some 31 persons in the Ellembelle district and Nzema East municipality of the Western region.
According to a release issued Sunday, October 22, 2023, “investigations were concluded on twenty-four (24) of the suspects and same had been charged with Illegal Entry and Illegal Stay contrary to Section 20(1) and 52(1)(D) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573)”
On Friday, October 20, the command convicted 24 of the suspects at Sekondi District Court B on their own plea. Each of the suspects was sentenced a fine of GHC1,000.00 in default will serve 6 months prison term.
Find the full statement below:
22nd October, 2023
PRESS RELEASE
TO ALL MEDIA HOUSE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TWENTY-FOUR (24) OF THE COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS ARRESTED IN THE WESTERN REGION BY THE GHANA IMMIGRATION SERVICE HAVE BEEN CONVICTED AND SENTENCED
1. Reference is herein made to a release from the Western Regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service dated Monday, 16th October, 2023 with the caption “ARREST OF SOME COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS WITHIN THE ELLEMBELE DISTRICT AND NZEMA EAST MUNICIPALITY OF THE WESTERN REGION”
2. In the said publication, the Western Regional Command of the Ghana Immigration Service had informed the general public about the arrest of some thirty-one (31) ECOWAS nationals suspected to have been involved in prostitution and other immigration related offences.
3. Investigations were concluded on twenty-four (24) of the suspects and same had been charged with Illegal Entry and Illegal Stay contrary to Section 20(1) and 52(1)(D) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573).
4. On the Friday, 20th October, 2023, the Command secured conviction at the Sekondi District Court B, for twenty-four (24) out of the total number of suspects on their own plea.
5. Subsequently, Her Honour, Araba Nunoo(Esq), sentenced each of the suspects to a fine of One Thousand Ghana Cedis (Ghc 1000.00) and in default serve six (6) months prison term.
6. Also, the prosecution team, led by the Western Regional Legal Officer for the Ghana Immigration Service, Chief Suprintendent Samuel Bilson, managed to secure Deportation Order for all the twenty-four suspects.
7. Eight (8) of the convicts have managed to redeem their fines, giving way to administrative processes leading to their deportation back to their home country in earnest.
8. The other sixteen (16) convicted prostitutes have since been taken into custody by the Sekondi Central Prison to begin their sentence.
9. Meanwhile, the Service is in the process of repatriating two (2) of the suspects, who were identified during the investigations as having been trafficked, back to their home country to be united with their families.
10. Also the two nursing mothers, together with the three (3) main suspects, Mr and Mrs Okereke, all Nigerians and a Ghanaian, Mr. Kofi Bekoe have been granted enquiry bail to enable the Service finish it’s investigations on them.
11. The Western Regional Command of the Service, would at this juncture like to express its profound gratitude to all stakeholders. Especially, those who continue to volunteer credible information leading to such arrests and successful prosecutions. The Command, continues to admonish all to bear in mind that security is and will always be a shared responsibility.
SIGNED:
ASST. INSP./MOSES MANFORD AKAKPO
(W/R PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER)
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