Ghana’s Communications Minister, Dr Omane Boamah, has revealed that the controversial passport which was used by former Ghanaian legislator and ex-convict, Eric Amoateng, was obtained during the 2009 political transition in the country.
According to him, the administrative changes which were being effected as a result of the change of government in the West African country, made it easy for some people to breach the protocols at the passport office.
Eric Amoateng was arrested in the US in 2005 for trafficking 136 pounds of heroin worth $6 million, returned to his home country Thursday, July 7, after serving his jail term in an American prison.
He was met on arrival by fresh troubles: allegations of fraud in his acquisition of a passport. He allegedly used documents of a lady to acquire his current passport.
Although he has been granted bail, he is yet to meet the terms of his bail bond.
Commenting on the development, Dr Boamah appealed to the security agencies to investigate the matter thoroughly to identify the culprits behind the act.
“It is very surprising to imagine how somebody who was behind bars can manage such a thing, but at this stage it would have to be established one way or the other.”
“If you are to examine the period, somewhere February 2009 transition, am not sure honorable Mumuni had been sent to the ministry of Foreign Affairs, am not sure there was an Interior minister at the time, who was the director of Immigration? Can that person be held accountable? But who was the director of passport? No due diligence was done,” he fumed on Radio Gold’s Alhaji and Alhaji show.
Source: GhanaWeb
