Supreme Court strips Indian of permit

The Supreme Court has set aside an order by an Accra High Court for the restoration of the residence and work permit of embattled Indian businessman, Ashok Kumar Sivaram.

According to the justices of the Supreme Court, the High Court judge erred in granting the order and also exceeded her jurisdiction in making the order.

This follows a suit filed by the state praying the court to quash the order of the High Court directing the Comptroller of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to restore the businessman’s residence and work permit.

An Accra High Court in August 2017 ordered the GIS to issue Mr Sivaram, a temporary residence permit.

Justice Naa Adoley Azu, who presided over the case on Friday, 25 August 2017, advised that the rights of Mr Sivaram be respected so far as he remains in the country.

An Accra High Court had earlier quashed the deportation of Mr Sivaram by the Interior Minister, Ambrose Derry, after the Ministry had accused him of fraud.

He had been deported on allegations of fraud relating to his acquisition of a fake marriage certificate to enable him stay in Ghana – a claim the Indian denies.

Mr Sivaram later petitioned President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, saying he was being harassed by Mr Dery, as well as the Comptroller of the Ghana Immigration Service, Kwame Takyi, and Deputy Comptroller General in charge of Operations, Laud Afrifa.

Mr Sivaram accused the three men of conspiring to dispossess him of his own firm, Jai Mai Communications Limited, and hand it over to his business partner, thus, doing everything possible to deport him from Ghana.

Meanwhile, the three Ghanaian officials have rejected claims they are harassing Mr Sivaram