Gary Nimako Demands Apology From Immigration Service

The lawyer for the embattled Indian businessman Ashok Kumar Sivaram, Gary Nimako, is demanding an unqualified apology from the Head of Public Affairs of the Ghana Immigration Service, Michael Amoako-Atta for defaming him.

In a letter to DSI Amoako-Atta, Mr. Nimako said the DSI was either not briefed or was churning out “malicious falsehood to the public carefully calculated to dent my hard worn reputation.”

In a previous statement signed by DSI Amoako-Atta, that accused Mr. Sivaram of attempting to enter Ghana illegally after he was deported from the country, Mr. Nimako said direct attributions were made to him that were “inaccurate and malicious.”

Among the claims made in the Immigration Service’s press release, Mr. Nimako was said to have served the Minister for the Interior and the Comptroller-General of Immigration a motion on Notice, for mandamus to compel the Minister and the Comptroller-General of Immigration to restore the applicant Mr. Sivram’s residence and work permit.

The Immigration Service statement also said Mr. Nimako, representing his client, wrote a letter to the Service applying for a Visa-On-Arrival, which was rejected because of the application run contrary to the Immigration Act 573 and the Immigration Regulations 2001, 1691.

The Immigration Service said the correct procedure was for Mr. Nimako to have applied for the Entry Visa on behalf of his client and for the application to be granted before the client (Mr. Ashok Sivaram) entered the country.

But Mr. Nimako said, “in general response to the entire Press Release, I wish to respectfully inform you that it is proper to give a correct narrative of the sequence of events to the public in the interest of the Ghana Immigration Service. I therefore respectfully implore you to immediately retract the inaccurate and defamatory attributions made to be in your Press Release forthwith.”