Michael Pepsin Avorgah
Denu (V/R), Sept. 21, GNA – The Denu Circuit Court has sentenced a 32-year-old Nigerien tricycle rider, Mustapha Usman, to seven months’ imprisonment for facilitating the unlawful entry of four Nigeriens into Ghana.
The court sentenced Usman to three months’ imprisonment on the count of migrant smuggling and four months on the count of causing a false representation to be made, with the sentences to run concurrently.
Usman, who appeared before the court without legal representation, pleaded guilty to both charges after they were read and translated into Hausa with the assistance of the Ghana Police Service, Ketu Division.
He was subsequently convicted on both counts.
The court ordered that Usman be returned to the custody of the Aflao Police Station pending his transfer to the Ho Central Prison.
The four Nigerien migrants involved in the case have been repatriated.
Presenting the case, DSI Emmanuel Faith Otchere-Baffour, who held brief for DCOI Mark Asamoah-Boakye, Esq., told the court that Usman, a tricycle rider resident in Togo, was arrested by officers of the GIS Aflao Sector Command at the Aflao Border Beat Six Post.
According to the prosecution, four Nigeriens engaged Usman to facilitate their entry into Ghana, and he agreed to transport them from the Lagos Lorry Park in Lomé, Togo, to Kojoviakope near the Aflao Beat Six area at a fee of GHS200 per person.
The prosecution said that upon arrival at Kojoviakope, Usman sought assistance from an accomplice identified as Remy, who is currently at large, to facilitate the migrants’ unlawful entry into Ghana.
The court heard that the migrants were concealed in the bucket of Usman’s tricycle and covered to make it appear empty in order to evade immigration profiling and checks.
According to the prosecution, Remy arranged for another tricycle rider to transport the loaded tricycle into Ghana while he and Usman monitored from a distance.
The tricycle entered Ghana at about 1830 hours and was subsequently intercepted by immigration officers around Beat Seven.
The prosecution said Usman approached the scene after the interception and identified himself as the owner of the tricycle, while the other rider used the confusion at the scene to abscond.
The four migrants were taken to the border for questioning, where they confirmed that they had each contributed towards payment of the GH¢200 fee to Usman.
Usman was charged with migrant smuggling, contrary to Section 52A(2) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573), as amended by the Immigration (Amendment) Act, 2012 (Act 848).
He was also charged with causing a false representation to be made, contrary to Section 52(1)(e) and Section 2(6) of the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Kenneth Odeng Adade