Visa fraud: Jon Benjamin lacks decency, propriety – Osei Owusu

The first deputy Speaker of Parliament Joe Osei Owusu has sternly criticized the UK High Commissioner to Ghana’s modus operandi, describing it as bereft of “decency and propriety.”

The comment comes in the wake of Jon Benjamin’s visa fraud expose’ involving three siting lawmakers and a former one in Ghana’s parliament.

The suspects are Richard Acheampong, NDC MP for Bia East in the Western region (NDC), Joseph Benhazin Dahah, NPP MP for Ntotroso in the Bono Ahafo region, Johnson Kwaku Adu, NPP MP for Ahafo Ano South West in the Ashanti region and George Boakye, former MP for Asunafo South in the Bono Ahafo region.

The four, according to the High Commission, have used their diplomatic passports to secure visas for persons who travelled to the UK and never returned.

In a letter dated January 20, 2017 to the Speaker of Parliament Mike Oquaye Mr Benjamin said: “The British High Commission considers the actions [of the MPs] completely unacceptable. In some cases these behaviours may arguably be criminal in nature.”

But commenting on the development Wednesday on Starr Chat, Mr Osei Owusu who is also the chairman of the Appointments Committee of parliament said: “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.”

According to him, the High commissioner’s letter to parliament was unnecessary as “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.”