Two remanded for human trafficking

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded two persons, an Egyptian and Ghanaian who were said to have trafficked over 60 persons to Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

        The two, Ibrahim Abdelaziz El-Attarr, 61, and Eliasu Abdul Rahman, 39, pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit crime and human trafficking, and were remanded by the court to re-appear on February 20, 2014.

        Prosecuting, Charles Wilcot Ofori, Assistant State Attorney, told the court that Ibrahim professes to be an Egyptian Professor at El Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt; while Eliasu is a Businessman.

     He said Ibrahim came to Accra in 2013, and decided to set up a company to supposedly recruit drivers, house helps, nurses and artisans for work in Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

     He said Ibrahim contacted Eliasu who agreed to partner him set up the company and registered the company with the Registrar General's Department.

     Assistant State Attorney Wilcot Ofori said by reason of deception, the suspects received and collected various sums of monies from individuals numbering over 60, for the alleged purpose of securing them jobs in Saudi Arabia.

     He said based on intelligence received, officers from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on Tuesday February 4, 2013 went to Achimota Abofo, where they met the suspects operating in a structure and arrested them for the conduct of investigations.

     The prosecution said upon their arrest the team gathered a number of filled application forms on the letterhead of NAMAA Company Limited, which had been completed by the would-be victims.

       He said the team also found a number of Ghanaian passports, as well as computers and their accessories with them.