<<Print>>

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has said the arrest of 41 suspected middlemen or �Goro Boys� who allegedly issued fake vehicle documents to clients of the Authority would continue until it rid its premises of bad nuts. The DVLA said activities of the �Goro Boys� interrupted the professional operations of the Authority as they harassed and intercepted documents from clients supposedly to be sent to DVLA officials. They also extort money from DVLA clients ostensibly to help them acquire driving documents but end up giving the customers fake document such as drivers� licenses, roadworthy stickers and registration papers. Mr Noah Matey, DVLA Greater Accra Regional Manager, told the GNA in an interview that the �War on Goro Boys� was ignited by the Tiger Eye revelations of underhand dealings at DVLA offices. He said the ages of the middlemen ranged arrested in the swoop ranged between 23 and 40 years and are behind bars at the Airport Police Station. They would be screened and the innocent ones released. Mr Matey said in the past they adopted persuasive mechanism including the use of public address systems to educate clients about services available, direct clients to offices and an electronic display of services and prices to wade-off the �Goro Boys.� He said the Authority also resorted to the use of staff identification badges and warnings to clients about the illegal activities of Goro Boys but all proved futile. He said DVLA employees caught dealing with any Goro Boy would be arrested and dealt with according to the law and appealed to clients to use approved processes of acquiring registration documents and drivers� licenses to avoid issuance of fake documents. Mr Matey said the DVLA had introduced an online registration system for customers to access and fill their application forms in order to facilitate the documentation process. He said customers would only present their invoices to the DVLA to begin the processes for license acquisition, vehicle registration and vehicle roadworthy tests. The police carried out the swoop on Goro Boys last Wednesday following a request by the DVLA management. Following the swoop, activities in and around the DVLA Accra Regional Office near the 37th Military Hospital reduced as the Goro Boys fled the area. Some of them were arrested at the DVLA office at Weija in a similar swoop. The Airport Police Commander, Superintendent of Police Yao Tettegah said the police would prosecute the suspects and that the swoop was the first in a series to rid the DVLA offices of Goro Boys. He advised the public to stop dealing with them since they risked receiving fake drivers� licenses and other documents.