The management of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has cautioned its personnel at inland checkpoints against the extortion of money from the public.
The GIS has therefore, asked commanders of the various regions and sectors to ensure that officers posted to checkpoints conduct themselves professionally.
This comes in the wake of reports received by the GIS, indicating that some personnel stationed at the immigration inland checkpoints, were allegedly extorting monies from members of the public, especially at the Northern frontiers of the country.
“The management of the Service will like to reiterate the objective of these inland checkpoints, which are there to serve as a second layer of passenger profiling to be able to counter any entry of extremist groups into the country, to safeguard national security and also for the safety of the traveling public,” a statement by the GIS said.
Issued in Accra and signed by the Head of Public Relations of the GIS, Chief Superintendent (C/Supt) Michael Amoako-Attah, the statement noted that the inland checkpoints were technically part of border lines, and consequently have security protocols that members of the traveling public are to follow.
The GIS therefore, asked any member of the public who would be extorted by any immigration officer at any of the inland checkpoints, “to take note of his or her name tag and the duty post where it occurred and report same to the nearest Immigration Service Office or the Immigration Professional Standards and Ethics Section at the Regional or National Headquarters in Accra.”
The GIS, it is recalled, on August 2, this year, announced the interdiction of 27 personnel made up of three senior officers and 24 junior officers for various offences that sought to bring the name of the Service into disrepute.
In a circular signed by the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, the interdicted officers were alleged to be involved in various offences, including recruitment and/or visa fraud.
The interdiction was to allow for thorough investigations into their cases, in line with internal disciplinary procedures after which they will be prosecuted where necessary.
The GIS therefore, urged members of the public who had fallen victim to the alleged acts of these officers whose names were disclosed, to provide information to the Service to assist in investigations.
BY TIMES REPORTER
