A Legal Aid Commission lawyer has agreed to represent 51 out of over 100 foreign nationals arraigned for alleged illegal entry and failure to acquire residence or work permits in Ghana.
Mr Okyere Kumah, the assigned lawyer, introduced himself to the accused persons through an interpreter on Monday.
Initially, they rejected him, requesting proof of his legal status.
Mr Kumah told the court that although the accused persons had refused to accept him, he had to announce his representation for the record.
“For the sake of records, I had to announce myself and be recorded by the Court,” he said.
However, Moussa Sylla, one of the accused, later explained that their hesitation stemmed from fear, as several individuals had previously claimed to be lawyers.
“We did not have anything against him, just that we were scared… but we now trust him to represent us,” he said.
Following this, Mr Kumah applied for bail, but the Accra Circuit Court 11 declined, stating the request was premature.
The court ordered that the accused be remanded into prison custody, not police custody, citing the Prisons Service’s capacity to accommodate them.
The development occurred after the prosecution substituted its original charge sheet filed on October 21 with an amended version on November 3, 2025.
All 51 accused persons pleaded not guilty to charges of illegal entry and failure to obtain the necessary permits.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Issah Archibari told the court that on October 7, 2025, police received intelligence about over 100 foreign nationals residing at Kuntunse-Satellite near Amasaman.
Upon arrival, the accused refused to disclose their identities and were arrested.
Investigations revealed they were from neighbouring francophone countries and had entered Ghana illegally between February and September 2025, working as Q-Net marketers without documentation.
ASP Archibari said they posed a flight risk and lacked permanent addresses.
Mr Kumah, however, argued that his clients had fixed residences and would appear for trial.
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