GIS, BNI to investigate residence status of Odinga

The Osu Community Tribunal has ordered the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to assist the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to investigate the validity of the residence status of the Albert Hamid Odinga, the Belize national who was arrested recently in a house near the residence of former President Jerry John Rawlings.

This was after the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Margaret Awuni, had asked the tribunal, presided over by Mrs Ivy Heward-Mills, for more time to enable the BNI and GIS to investigate the validity of Odinga's residence status.

Sources close to the former president said the man, contrary reports by the security agencies that he poses a threat to the Rawlings, is a friend to the former leader and a caretaker of one of his houses.

Odinga, who was not in court, is charged with communicating false reports injuring the reputation of the state. Odinga, who is said to be a Journalist, is scheduled to re-appear on Monday June 25.

Mr Wahid Bampuori Iddrisu, Counsel for the accused, said the charge preferred against his client had nothing to do with his residence status and prayed the court to grant his client bail. "Last week, the prosecution asked the court to grant them two weeks to enable the BNI to investigate the matter," he said, adding that he was surprised that the GIS was now being brought in to assist in investigating Odinga's residence permit.

"We are surprised about the new trend the matter is taking," he said. The prosecution said Odinga came to Ghana in 1979 but was deported in 1980 as an illegal immigrant. Odinga, however, returned in 1992 and was arrested this month following a tip-off that he was operating as a counter-intelligence agent.