Forged British visa applications reduce

Page 3: November 7, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE number of forged visa applications to the British High Commission has reduced from 40 per cent in 2004 to eight per cent this year.
The Immigration Liaison Manager of the British High Commission, Mr Paul Stafford, said in Accra yesterday that as a result of the success of the Visa and Documentation Fraud Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the United Kingdom’s Border Agency International Group was providing £26,500 for the purchase of a vehicle and equipment for the unit.
Mr Stafford was speaking when he visited the Director-General of the CID, DCOP Frank Adu-Poku.
He said the British Government had also decided to replicate the programme throughout the world.
"This is in recognition of the achievements of the Visa and Documentation Fraud Unit of the CID in reducing the submission of forged documents by visa applicants to the British High Commission in Ghana," he stated.
He said since the unit was set up in 2004, through the instrumentality of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) K. K. Amoah, more than 3,200 visa applicants had been arrested at the British High Commission for submitting forged or fraudulently obtained documents or for identity abuse.
Prior to the inception of the exercise, he said, an assessment of visa applications showed that 40 per cent of all applications submitted to the High Commission contained forged or fraudulently obtained documents.
Mr Stafford said it was as a result of the success of the programme that senior officials in the United Kingdom recognised Ghana’s efforts as an "outstanding example of how to reduce fraud and work with local law enforcement agencies".
In addition to the CID boss, Mr Stafford also commended Chief Inspector Antwi Tanoh and Inspector Joseph Mannoh for being excellent ambassadors for the CID in ensuring the success of the unit.
DCOP Adu-Poku expressed the appreciation of the Police Administration for the resources that various foreign missions were providing to support the work of the unit.
He gave the assurance that the vehicle and equipment would be put to good use to reduce the incidence of forged documents in visa applications.