3 ex-SA cops not sure who invited them to Ghana - GIS

While documentation shows that three deported former South African police officers were invited by two named institutions, the deportees said otherwise; findings by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) revealed.

The three - Ahmed Shaik Hazis, Denver Dwayne Naidu and Mlungiseleli Jokani - were in the country on the invitation of McDan Shipping Ltd and the Danquah Institute for purely business meetings in Accra.

However, the GIS has released a statement, which suggested that the three, in their written statement, gave conflicting report about their mission in Ghana and who invited them.

According to them, they were invited by the New Patriotic Party to train party functionaries on VIP security drills.

“In their own hand written statements, taken under caution at the BNI and in the presence of their Lawyer, the three (3) individuals indicated that they were engaged by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to come to the country and conduct training for fifteen (15) bodyguards from the party in VIP security drills.”

The GIS statement also noted, “On the face of the documentation examined, it was clear that the three individuals were not sure of who actually invited them. The NPP as a legal entity did not invite the three South Africans to Ghana and there is no documentation to contradict this fact. The evidence available points to McDan Shipping Ltd and the Danquah Institute as the invitees. As earlier indicated these institutions are not security organisations.”

The three were arrested in the Central Region last week engaging in security activities contrary to what their visas permitted them.

They were put before court and granted bail on Thursday. They were however deported to South Africa Tuesday morning while the case was still pending in court, much to the chagrin of their lawyers.

Find below the press release from GIS

REPATRIATION OF THREE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONALS

The Ghana Immigration Service amongst other responsibilities is the institution with the mandate of regulating and monitoring the entry and exit of foreign nationals as well as ensuring the removal of foreign nationals in breach of Ghana’s immigration laws.

It has come to our notice that three (3) South African nationals, namely, Major (Rtd) Ahmed Shaik HAZIS a.k.a Chris aged 55yrs , W. O (Rtd) Denver Dwayne NAIDU aged 39yrs and Cpt. (Rtd) Mlungiseleli JOKANI aged 45yrs arrived variously in the country on the 5th and 14th of March respectively.

The suspects were reportedly arrested by the BNI for engaging in acts suspected to be inimical to national security. The GIS on 23/03/16 requested for their release to the Service for the determination of their immigration status in the country. The suspects indicated in their written statements that they were invited by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to train its security personnel. The GIS proceeded to review their Visa Application process to confirm the veracity of their claims and reconcile their current status and activities. In the process to ascertain these facts the forms they submitted to our Mission in Pretoria, South Africa and the disembarkation cards filled by them upon their arrival at KIA were vetted.

FINDINGS

The three (3) SA nationals were issued B1 (Business) visas which prohibits any form of employment. Their individual hosts had indicated in their respective invitation letters that subjects were to “travel to Accra for a series of business meetings” with them.

MlungiselelI Jokani and Denver Dwayne Naidu who are both employees of GLAEXEC PROTECTION SERVICES LTD in South Africa were invited by Dr Daniel Mckorley of McDan Shipping Company Ltd by a letter dated 2/03/16. Hazis Ahmed Shaik an employee of iMvula Quality Protection (Africa) (Pty) Ltd on the other hand was invited by Nana Attobrah Quaicoe of the Danquah Institute by a letter dated 22/12/15.

Hazis Shaik was first to arrive in Ghana. He came on board a South Africa Airlines plane, [Flt no. SA 52] at around 9:40pm on the 5/03/16 on a Republic of South Africa passport number M00052092. He indicated on his disembarkation Card that Movenpick Hotel –Accra was his contact Address in Ghana.

The two other individuals invited by McDan Shipping Ltd arrived in Ghana around 10:15pm on 14/03/16 on South African Airlines, [Flt No. SA 209] and were both travelling on Republic of South Africa passport numbers M00096231 and A05213410 respectively. They both indicated on their disembarkation cards that Alisa Hotel-Accra was their contact Address in Ghana.

WRITTEN STATEMENTS

In their own hand written statements, taken under caution at the BNI and in the presence of their Lawyer, the three (3) individuals indicated that they were engaged by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to come to the country and conduct training for fifteen (15) bodyguards from the party in VIP security drills. Hazis who was identified by the other two as their leader, indicated in his statement that he was “engaged to provide VIP protection training to the protection security officers of the Leader of the Opposition party in Ghana, the NPP. This was my reason for being in Ghana”. This statement does not conform with the purpose of their invitation [“travel to Accra for a series of business meetings”] which they indicated on their application for visa to the Ghana Mission in Pretoria, South Africa.

Based on the aforementioned findings the GIS draws the following conclusions;

1. The two organizations which extended the invitation to the three South Africans are not known to be registered security companies.

2. The series of meetings indicated in the invitation letters, on the strength of which the visas were issued, were to be held in Accra with the two organizations.

3. On the face of the documentation examined, it was clear that the three individuals were not sure of who actually invited them. The NPP as a legal entity did not invite the three South Africans to Ghana and there is no documentation to contradict this fact. The evidence available points to McDan Shipping Ltd and the Danquah Institute as the invitees. As earlier indicated these institutions are not security organisations.

4. They were training 15 Ghanaians out of Accra in security drills, which contradict the express purpose for their coming to Ghana, which was to attend meetings.

Additionally, it is the view of the GIS that the training exercise conducted by the three at the El Capitano Hotel in the Central Region to a group that did not invite them, is clearly a confirmation of the attempt to conceal the motive for their visit and was therefore a breach of Section 52(1) (e) and (i) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573). Their act is also a breach of the conditions precedent for the issuance of visas as contained in the instructions on Form B (Reg.3 (4) of the Immigration Regulation 2001 (LI 1691).

In view of the foregoing, the Director of Immigration acting in accordance with Section 20 of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573) has revoked the visas issued to the three South Africans. The Director has further ordered their repatriation to South Africa in line with Section 21 of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573).

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SGND: DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION