UK High Commisioner Jon Benjamin lacks decency – 1st Deputy Speaker

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Joseph Osei Owusu has slammed the UK High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin over the latter’s decision to expose four Ghananain MPs for alleged visa fraud after he exacted penalties against them.

Mr. Osei Owusu said for a matter which was brought to the doorstep of the Speaker of Parliament by the UK official in confidence needn’t have been made public, arguing that Mr. Benjamin’s fuss about the Ghanaian MPs alleged visa offences is questionable.

“I think that that High Commissioner in so many instances has acted in a way that in my view transcends the bounds of decency and propriety,” he told a sister station, Starr FM Wednesday.

A correspondence forwarded to the Speaker of Parliament by the UK government through the UK High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Jon Benjamin, said ” The British High Commission (BHC) would like, in confidence, to bring the following matters to your attention, regarding the apparent involvement of three serving MPs and one former MP in visa fraud directly affecting the United Kingdom.”

The confidential letter sighted by Kasapafmonline.com said the MPs in question- violated UK visa regulations on different occasions by either providing false information for their visa applications or facilitating the visas of some relatives who overstayed their visas in the UK.

“Administrative measures have been taken to ensure that the Honourable members mentioned here will most likely not be granted visas for the UK within the next 10 years, the letter addressed to Prof Mike Oquaye said.

Commenting on the development on a Personality Profile Show- Starr Chat that hosted him on Starr 103.5 FM Wednesday, Mr Joe Osei Owusu said it’s unnecessary for the august House to probe the case of the four MPs accused of the alleged visa fraud by the UK High Commission.

He questioned why there should be the need for parliament to heed the calls to investigate the culprits- adding “these are personal travel arrangements. I believe strongly that if any of them took the matter up to appeal, some of those things may be overturned.”