Shalimar Abbiusi
A Kaneshie District Court yesterday granted GH¢20,000 bail with two sureties to Shalimar Abbiusi, the spokesperson for a newly formed political organization known as "The New Force."
Last week, the Belgian national was taken into custody by Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) officers on suspicion of using a fraudulent declaration to obtain a student permit, which allowed him to remain in Ghana.
When she appeared before the court for the first time, it remanded her after granting the GIS some time to wrap up its investigation.
In court, Ms. Abbiusi is facing a charge of falsely obtaining a student permit in violation of Section 52(1)(i) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573). She has entered a not guilty plea to the charge.
Section 52(1)(j) of Act 573 stipulates that the accused may face a fine of up to GH¢1,000 or a sentence of up to two years in prison.
The decision to impose the fine and the custodial sentence rests with the court.
Francis Xavier Sosu, her attorney, begged the court yesterday to release the accused until the end of the trial.
He said that the accused will make sure she appears for the trial and that she has independent witnesses with the resources to serve as sureties. He also said that "even if day-by-day trial we will bring her."
Assistant Commissioner of Immigration Adolf Aboagye Afreh opposed the bail request, claiming that the accused is a foreign national and that even though her passport is in the GIS, she is free to leave the country at any time.
He went on to say, "The state is actually interested in her activities within the country as well as her interest in participating in political activities there."
The Magistrate, Abena Owusuaa Amenyo, gave Ms. Abbuisi a GH¢20,000 bail with two sureties.
She must turn in her passport and appear in person at immigration three times every week.
The case of the prosecution
According to the prosecution's facts submitted to the court, the accused was arrested after the Head of the National Enforcement Section at the GIS headquarters invited her to discuss her immigration status in the nation and the GIS became aware of her social media activity.
According to the facts, the accused was discovered in a brief video that was going around announcing the formation of a new political organization called "The New Force" and identified herself as the group's spokesperson.
According to the report, investigations showed that the accused arrived in Ghana for the first time on September 4, 2017, via the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). She continued to visit the nation on a regular basis until 2018, when she allegedly moved in as a student at the Ghana Christian University College and became a resident.
According to court documents, she had never attended the college, and documents that the college supposedly provided to support her application for a residency permit were allegedly faked.