“New Force” spokesperson granted GH¢20,000 bail

The Kaneshie District Court in Accra yesterday granted bail in the sum of GH¢20,000 with two sureties to Shalimar Abbiusi, a Belgian and spokesperson for “The New Force,” a new political group that has started advertising itself with billboards and social media messages. 

This was after she pleaded not guilty to obtaining a student permit by false declaration.

She was granted bail following a bail application by her lawyer, Francis-Xavier Sosu, in court yesterday.

Abbiusi is to reappear on Tuesday, December 19, this year at the court presided over by Nana Abena Asor Owusu Amenyo.

Meanwhile, scores of people believed to be supporters of “The New Force” political group thronged the court premises with placards in support of the accused person. 

Brief facts

Narrating the facts of the case, prosecution led by Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (CI), Adolf Aboagye Asenso, said the accused person was arrested upon an invitation by the Head of the National Enforcement Section of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) concerning her immigration status in the country.

The prosecutor said the GIS’s attention was drawn to the activities of the accused on social media.

He added that Abbiusi was found in some short video in circulation introducing the emergence of a new political grouping described as “The New Force”.

The prosecution said the accused person introduced herself as a spokesperson for the group.

CI Asenso told the court that investigations revealed that the accused person first came to Ghana on September 4, 2017, through the Kotoka International Airport and had since been a regular visitor to the country until 2018 when she became a resident following her supposed admission to the Ghana University College.

The prosecutor said checks from the college revealed that she had never been a student.

He added that documents purportedly issued by the college to support her application for a residence permit were allegedly forged.