A Belgian woman who gained national attention via a New Force video, Shalimar Abbiusi, has detailed the surreal injustice she endured during her recent arrest, detention, and subsequent repatriation.
The Immigration Service, in December 2023, revoked her stay permit and deported her after the state dropped the charges proffered against her.
In an exclusive interview with Raymond Acquah on Upfront, the repatriated New Force spokesperson described the inhumane treatment she suffered at the hands of both immigration and NIB officers.
“They just ignored me, they weren’t listening to me. They were lying to me that they were just going to file some documentation in court and eventually, they wanted to put me on the stand, take my plea and potentially let me incriminate myself,” she said on JoyNews.
“I had a lawyer and they refused to give me access to him, they refused to call him or let him know where I was at that point.”
This she said was at the hands of officers of both the National Bureau of Investigations and the Ghana Immigration Service.
New Force Spokesperson, Shalimar Abbuissi re-arrested by Ghana Immigration Service after the state prosecutors dropped charges against her in court. #JoyNews pic.twitter.com/Nb6TizvdDt
— JoyNews (@JoyNewsOnTV) December 19, 2023
Speaking to JoyNews on January 12, 2024, Shalimar also dismissed claims that she interfered in Ghana’s politics.
The state, on December 20, repatriated Shalimar Abbuissi after the Ghana Immigration Service revoked her permit.
The Kaneshie District Court discharged the Belgian national that day as state prosecutors decided to drop the charge.
Shalimar, according to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) indicated in her document that she was a student of the Ghana Christian University College. However, upon intelligence by the state, the claim was found to be false.
She heaved a sigh of relief when the state prosecutors told the court that they had dropped the charges against her.
The atmosphere shifted instantaneously, and a wave of relief washed over her in the courtroom. Her heart, once shackled by the looming threat of imprisonment and a possible fine, soared with newfound freedom.
Shalimar’s freedom, however, was short-lived when she was re-arrested. For a fleeting moment (20 minutes), she tasted two worlds: a world of freedom and a world of restrictions.
Travel arrangements had been made by the state after the GIS gave her 24 hours within which to leave the country. At 10 PM on Tuesday, her Brussels flight took off from the Kotoka International Airport.
Shalimar’s lawyer, Francis Xavier was displeased with the development.
According to him, the state has tampered with the fundamental human rights of Shalimar Abuissi, and he will fight to get her justice.
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