60 Muslims Arrested In Saudi Arabia

Reports reaching the Daily Guide newspaper say 60 of the pilgrims that left Accra to perform this year?s Hajj in Mecca are being held by Saudi Arabian security forces on suspicion of using fake traveling passports to gain entry into the country.

Confirming the reports, our sources in Jeddah said three of the detained were high-profile personalities whose names we are withholding. The reports indicated that the pilgrims from Ghana arrived in Jeddah with Benin and Togo passports with their photographs affixed to them.

The act, popularly called ?Tushem? (remove and paste) by illegal passport contractors, attracted the ire of the Saudi Immigration authorities.

The ambassadors of Ghana, Benin and Togo were all contacted with regard to the embarrassing situation, which was of security concern to the Saudi authorities.When contacted yesterday, a source close to Ghana?s Ambassador, Rashid Bawah, confirmed the incident and said the embassy was doing all it could to resolve the problem, which had criminal connotations. The source added that the Benin Consulate in Jeddah had however not been too keen to get involved.

Daily Guide has meanwhile learnt that all Ghanaian pilgrims have duly performed the Hajj except for the detained 60.

Furthermore, it was established that without the personal intervention of President Kufuor, the pilgrims would not have been able to perform this year?s Hajj, because after the intervention, Ambassador Rashid at one time had to bulldoze his way into the control tower of Jeddah Airport to allow the planes carrying the Ghanaian pilgrims to land at the airport.

Additionally, the Crown Prince of Saudi himself gave his word to President Kufuor that he would ensure the pilgrims were allowed into Mecca so they could perform the Hajj. Two Ghanaian pilgrims were reported dead- one at Dubai Airport enroute to Mecca, and the other at Jeddah Airport.

Two others died- one in Accra and the other in Kumasi while waiting to travel to Mecca. It would be recalled that about 2,700 Muslim pilgrims who had registered and paid to attend this year?s Hajj were stranded at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra for a week before finally flying out under widely-publicised controversial circumstances.

The Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu has meanwhile reiterated the call for a probe into the organization of this year?s Hajj. An interim committee was set up to organize this year?s Hajj after the Hajj Council of last year had failed abysmally to meet expectations. Already, President Kufuor had asked the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI)) to investigate the activities of the committee.