 Deputy Minister of Interior, James Agalga has hinted that the two former Guatanamo Bay detainees currently being hosted by Ghana are likely not to stay in the country beyond the two year stipulated time agreed by both the Ghana and American governments.
According to him, the order by President Mahama is for the two terrorist suspects to be sheltered until the close of 2017 by which time their visas would have expired, unless President John Mahama by an executive directive cause their visas to be renewed.
“Their permit is not above two years, after two years if you don’t have a visa to live in this country, the Director of Immigration is duty bound under immigration Act 2000, to take them out of the country.
The arrival into Ghana of Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby has triggered lots of controversy in the country, with groups such as the Catholic Bishop conference and the Christian Council of Ghana, asking President John Mahama to return the two.
The largest opposition party’s flag bearer, Nana Akufo Addo last week condemned the poor manner in which government has handled issues relating to the two ex detainees and described it as yet another example of the failure of leadership on the part of President Mahama.
But the government has continued to assure Ghanaians of their safety and insisted it did nothing illegal in accepting the two suspects.
Deputy Minister of Interior James Agalga while contributing to a discussion on Joy FM’s News analysis show News File Saturday stated that he was fully aware that the Director of Immigration did the necessary assessment and concluded that there were no reasonable grounds to suspect them of any terrorist tendencies and hence allowed them into the Ghana.
Hon. Agalga further stated that President Mahama did not breach any law but exercised executive authority by accepting to host Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby. |
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(Selorm) | 
(Nana Kwesi)