BNI Arrest Director Of Passports

The Director of Passports, Eric Odoi Anim, has been picked up by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) in connection with alleged acquisition of fraudulent passport by the Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkoranza North Constituency, Eric Amoateng. Mr. Amoateng, was convicted of narcotic offences in 2006 in the United States of America (USA), where he served a 10-year jail sentence. He was, however, arrested upon his return to Ghana for possession of a passport, which is said to belong to a lady. The passport is alleged to have been acquired in 2009. As part of investigations, the Director of Passports, was asked to proceed on immediate leave, but was picked up by the BNI on Tuesday, August 19, to aid investigations. He has since been in the custody of the BNI. It is unclear when he will be released. Fresh criminal case relating to passport fraud against Mr. Eric Amoateng, started shortly after he was released from jail in the US recently. Mr. Amoateng is in possession of a valid Ghanaian passport No. H 2347080 issued in Accra on February 23, 2009. Amoateng was arrested in the USA on December 11, 2005 and tried for possession of heroin, a narcotic drug. He was subsequently convicted and jailed for ten [10] years which he served and was released on July 30, 2014. Clearly, therefore, Mr. Amoateng was in prison at the time the passport he is travelling with was issued and could therefore not have been available at the time to apply for, and be issued with, the passport. Assuming that it was applied on his behalf, the question would arise as to how the passport form was acquired and completed, given that there is a requirement for signature and thumbprint as the case was, with regard to the old passport form. Preliminary checks at the passport office, revealed that passport No. H 2347080 was issued to a young lady by name, Barbara Inkum. Miss Inkum, however, never received her passport although the records still suggest that the passport is in her name. Investigation is still being conducted into how Miss Inkum�s passport ended up in the hands of Mr. Eric Amoateng, and bearing Mr. Amoateng�s particulars, while retaining only Miss Inkum�s passport number. Clearly, there is conclusive evidence that the passport in the possession of Mr. Amoateng was fraudulently acquired.