Diplomatic missions to be wary of visa applicants

Accra, Feb. 8, GNA - Nana Akuoko Sarpong, Chairman of the National Commission on Culture on Tuesday urged diplomatic missions to be wary of groups applying for visas as some of them use dubious letterheads.

He said there is a visa syndicate operating within the country using institutions and names of notable personalities and signatures in their operations.

Nana Akuoko, who said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra added that, his attention has been drawn to some of these syndicates using letterheads and personalities of the commission and other professional bodies for their deals.

"My name and forged signature have been used in some instances". He said embassies must call on professional institutions for verifications as to the genuineness of applications in their names.

Nana Akuoko advised those involved to put an end to the practice as his commission will expose all of them. He said a committee set up in 1998 to investigate visa deals within the musicians union - MUSIGA - has completed its work and the report will be out by the end of the month.

Nana Akuoko however, said the embassies must be careful in their screening "as there are still genuine applicants".