GIS refutes claims by Hansol Mining Company
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has denied that nine gold bars, cash and damaged equipment belonging to Hansol Mining Company, a small-scale gold mining company, were allegedly stolen during a joint operation to arrest illegal Chinese gold miners.
In a press statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the GIS, Mr Francis Palmdetti, the GIS described the allegations as blatant untruths that should be ignored.
It said 138 Chinese miners were arrested during the operation. However, only 98 passports were retrieved, while 43 of them had residence permits purported to have been issued by the GIS.
It said investigations conducted later revealed that some of those residence permits were either fraudulently acquired or fake.
It said the operation on the said date was professionally carried out and the service had a video footage of what transpired during the operation.
It, therefore, called on the mining company to provide evidence that GIS officers did, indeed, steal and vandalise its property.
The statement said the service was aware of the fact that the mining company was listed by the Minerals Commission as one of the registered support service companies in Ghana.
However, for Hansol Mining Company to benefit from some of the incentives offered by the Minerals Commission, it had to apply to the commission which, after vetting, would write a letter of recommendation to the GIS.
“It is on that basis that the GIS will recommend for the issuance of work permits and subsequently grant the residence permits. Hansol Company hadn’t done any of these at the time of this release,” it said.
Additionally, the service was also aware that the company applied to the Ministry of the Interior for an immigration quota in 2010 for 30 expatriate workers.
According to the statement, the ministry granted it only 10 quotas, adding that the company was yet to provide the names of persons to fill the relevant quotas or fill the necessary vetting forms.
Also, available records in the possession of the service indicated that the last records of any form of work or residence permit issued to the company was granted in 2008, at a time Commissioner of Police Dr P. A. Wiredu had not assumed office as the acting Director of Immigration.
“It must be noted that at no time had Dr Wiredu granted or endorsed any work or residence permit to the company. We, therefore, wish to request Mr Bernard Antwi-Boasiako to provide original copies of work permits or immigrant quotas issued to him as proof of his claim,” the statement said.
It said the GIS also had knowledge of Mr Antwi-Boasiako’s association with two other companies, Akowowomo Company Limited and My Love Company Limited, whose workers were also held by the service and had been granted bail.
It, however, said the service would endeavour to uphold the tenets of the immigration profession and urged the public to assist it to ensure that the country remained conducive to all residents.
“It is important that individuals and institutions do not engage in activities that undermine our mandated role,” the statement said.
