Ghana: Information on the Ghana Democratic Movement, GDM (follow-up to Response to Information Request GHA10317)

As discussed, please find attached some documents provided to the IRBDC by the Canadian High Commission in London through the Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs at Ottawa. Additional and/or corroborating information, other than that provided in previous responses to information requests, could not be found among the sources currently available to the IRBDC. Please note that the documents provided to the IRBDC by the Canadian High Commission did not include the sample letters of referral by the Ghana Democratic Movement (GDM) mentioned in one of the texts and the number and quality of the photocopied news articles attached to this response is the same as that received by the IRBDC. The list with the names of people who reportedly attended a GDM meeting, as reported by an anonymous source, is the only document originally attached that is not included with this response.

The attached documents provide some background information on the GDM, stating that it was founded in 1983 by supporters of the two main political parties in Ghana before the military coup, the Peoples National Party and the Popular Front Party (Canadian High Commission 6 Apr. 1992). The GDM is described as a London-based organization claiming to have 5,000 members worldwide, "mostly in Europe, some African countries, as well as an estimated 500 members in Canada - principally in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver" (Ibid.). The High Commission reports that a GDM spokesman claims the GDM is proscribed in Ghana, while a representative of the Ghanaian High Commission denied it was proscribed as such in Ghana "but said it was affected by the general ban on party political activity, which he said will be lifted on 18 May 1992" (Ibid.).

The Canadian High Commission reports that there was a split in the GDM's leadership in 1990 with two factions currently vying for control, both of which "appear to continue to use the GDM name" (Ibid.). One faction is led by Frimpong-Manso and Shanco Bruce, while the other is led by Alex Asabere and Mensah (Ibid.). The source indicates that Asabere has since founded another organization called the Commonwealth Welfare and Immigration Advisory Centre, adding that the GDM is closely associated with another organization, the Ghana Welfare Association (Ibid.).

The Canadian High Commission reports that, according to Frimpong-Manso, GDM membership is open to anyone who accepts the organization's aims, together with a membership of "20 pounds up front plus 5 pounds a month," although the fee is said to be waived if applicants cannot afford to pay. Membership cards are reportedly issued and signed by the General Secretary, Shanco Bruce, while Frimpong-Manso states he "often writes letters of attestation to the UK Home Office to support claims for political asylum by GDM members but says there is no charge for this" (Ibid.).

The attached documents quote a Chief Immigration Officer of the UK Immigration Service as stating that, although the GDM is ostensibly a political organization, one of its primary purposes seems to be submitting political asylum claims on behalf of Ghanaians (Ibid.). The Canadian High Commission indicates that:

There have been many allegations in the past that the organization has been involved in immigration scams such as selling membership cards to facilitate asylum claims. These allegations have appeared in the Ghanaian and UK press (articles attached - apologies for the poor quality). Allegations have been levelled at members of the organization by other members. Attached is a copy of a letter from Mr. Mensah to the Home Office to dissociate himself from the "taint of grave irregularities in connection with immigration matters" in connection with Mr. Shanco Bruce and Mr. Frimpong-Manso (Ibid.).

A letter from J. H. Mensah provided by the Canadian High Commission and dated 12 March 1990 states that J.W.S. de Graft Johnson had collaborated with Bruce, Frimpong-Manso and others "to run a rebel GDM, thus giving cover to these questionable [immigration] activities" (J.H. Mensah 12 Mar. 1990). Mensah adds that de Graft Johnson had never been elected to any office in the GDM and has had "no mandate or authority to speak or act on its behalf" (Ibid.). The letter states that the members of the GDM had "decided to dissolve the GDM under its present title and organisation and to reform it totally" (Ibid.).

The documents provided by the Canadian High Commission and attached to this response include one "sent anonymously to the UK Immigration Service purporting to explain how the immigration fraud works" (Canadian High Commission 6 Apr. 1992). The latter's author claims that "the 1990 split in the organization resulted from quarrels over the spoils of this immigration fraud" (Ibid.).

The High Commission points out that Enforcement Officers of the UK Immigration Service raided the premises of Asabere's Commonwealth Welfare and Immigration Advisory Centre in October 1991 and found blank GDM membership cards signed by Mensah. The source states that Asabere was charged with criminal deception but the case was unsuccessful (Ibid.). Finally, the High Commission reports that "the president of the German branch of the GDM was refused entry to the UK in July 1991 after he admitted seeking to facilitate the entry of someone who he knew to be holding a document to which he was not entitled" (Ibid.).

Reference

Canadian High Commission, London. 6 April 1992. Ghana Democratic Movement. IMC-015 and annexed documents, including a letter by J. H. Mensah to the Under-Secretary of State of the United Kingdom, 12 March 1990.

Attachments

Canadian High Commission, London. 6 April 1992. Ghana Democratic Movement. IMC-015 and annexed documents, including a letter by J. H. Mensah to the Under-Secretary of State of the United Kingdom, 12 March 1990.