Six Chinese to be repatriated

The Osu Community Tribunal on Thursday sentenced six Chinese to six months' imprisonment each for possessing forged travelling documents. The Tribunal also ordered that they should be repatriated after serving their prison terms. They are Sun Zhinhua 32, Xiao Junxin 22, Cheng Chongxin 32, Pan Fufeng 22, Wang Menghon 22 and Yang Xiongese 21. They all pleaded guilty to the offence.

Prosecuting, Constant Hometowu, Deputy Superintendent of Immigration (DSI), told the tribunal presided by Mrs Ivy Heyward Mills that the accused persons were intercepted by Ghana Airways officials at the Kotoka International Airport on September 19 on suspicion of traveling on fake Ghanaian and American visas.

According to DSI Hometowu, the accused said they were met on arrival by a Chinese, named "Lin" and taken to an unknown hotel in Accra. According to them, the "connection man" at home advised them to destroy the tickets on arrival in Ghana.

He said the accused, alleged that the forged American visas were obtained in Ghana through Lin, after paying various sums of money ranging from 3,200 dollars to 5,000 dollars.

DSI Hometowu said they were told the money would cover the cost of visas and tickets to enable them to travel to Baltimore, USA, and their final destination. According to DSI Hometowu, the US Embassy in Ghana has confirmed that their counterparts in Beijing or any other US Government authority did not issue the visas.