VIDEO: Sam George says he has been placed on an anti-money-laundering list because of anti-lgbt advocacy

Mr. Samuel Nartey George, a campaigner for the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, has revealed the significant personal costs he has faced due to his advocacy, even before the bill has been passed into law.

As the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, George is sponsoring the Private Members' Bill alongside seven other MPs.

During an interview on Eko Sii Sen on Asempa FM, he claimed that his advocacy has resulted in unfair placement on a money laundering list, making it difficult for him to conduct financial transactions when travelling abroad.

George shared examples of his experiences, such as being unable to open a bank account at a university in the UK due to blacklisting. 

He also mentioned instances where he couldn't exchange currency in different countries because his name appeared on the list. Additionally, he discussed the challenges he faces when travelling with his diplomatic passport, recounting incidents of being pulled aside and subjected to extensive searches.

“I went to do a programme in LSE [London School of Economics] for example, and I needed a student account. The University gave me a letter, but the bank refused to open an account for me. As we speak, I can’t change even one dollar anywhere in the world. They’ve put me on a money laundering list. They claim I am laundering money for evangelical conservatives in the US," he said.

“I can’t change money anywhere, I have done some travels in the UK and Dubai. You know over there, when you want to exchange the money they’ll swipe your passport, so once they do that the countenance of the cashier changes when my name appears, then they hand the passport back to you and say we can’t change the money for you, sorry".

“Even when I travel with my diplomatic passport, you get pulled out of the line, you think that maybe they want to give you a special service because you’re carrying a diplomatic passport, they put you in a room for two hours; they just leave you sitting there and embarrass you…because you’ve gotten off a plane with Ghanaians and people see security people come and surround you and walk you into a room, search your bags and all of that just to harass you” he claimed.

“A sitting Member of Parliament lacks social ties? On that particular matter, I had to tweet at the Dutch Ambassador and tell him that I was also going to make a list of all Dutch businesses in Ghana and call for a boycott of all Dutch businesses. Then he came back and made for me what was the silliest excuse ever. That it was an administrative error.

“Then I sent back a tweet to him and said that even shows how poor he is at being an ambassador. If an application of a diplomatic passport holder coming from the office of the Speaker of Parliament for an official trip can be subject to an administrative error, what is happening to several other ordinary Ghanaians who are paying so much and you’re rejecting their visas? Are we to assume that there’s so much administrative error there? The next day they granted him [Alhassan Suhuyini] the visa” the MP narrated.

Despite these difficulties, George remains undeterred in his determination to see the bill enacted into law. He stated that these obstacles only fuel his motivation to push for the bill's passage.

The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 proposes severe penalties, including imprisonment, for same-sex sexual activities and those who promote or support them. 

Culprits could face up to ten years in prison, depending on the offence.

The bill, supported by other MPs including Emmanuel Bedzrah, Della Adjoa Sowah, John Ntim Fordjour, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, Helen Adjoa Ntoso, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, and Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, has sparked controversy and debate. George argues that homosexuality is not a fundamental human right but a personal preference that goes against the provisions of the 1992 Constitution.

Watch the video below;