Foreign minister refutes media report on 300 Ghanaians standing trial in Libya 


The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration   has denied media reports that over 300 Ghanaians are on detention at a centre in Tajoora, Libya and are to be sentenced to death by a Libyan court if the Ghana Embassy does not intervene.

Refuting the allegation on her Facebook wall, the sector minister, Mad. Hanna Tetteh said investigations conducted revealed as follows:

- The detention center mentioned in the reports is under the control of the Libyan Dawn Militias which back the Tripoli Government.

- There are four Ghanaians at the Centre awaiting deportation whose cases will be followed up by the Embassy.

- That after checking with the Courts in Tripoli it could not be confirmed in the Courts that there were 300 Ghanaians standing trial.

“Following reports on several media platforms that 300 Ghanaians in detention in Tajoora, Libya were scheduled to be sentenced to death by a Libyan Court on Monday the 21st of December 2015 I have had the matter investigated by our Embassy with oversight for Libya.” Sector Minister, Ms. Hannah Tetteh

According to her, there are four Ghanaians at the Centre awaiting deportation whose cases will be followed up by the Embassy.

She said the Ghana Embassy in Tripoli, Libya was relocated to Valletta, Malta over a year ago and hence the Embassy in Malta conducted investigations on this matter.

"From the information currently available to me therefore it appears the story is not true. Should any new facts emerge, or any additional information to come to our attention, I will inform the public.”

“After checking with the Courts in Tripoli it could not be confirmed in the Courts that there were 300 Ghanaians standing trial. From the information currently available to me therefore it appears the story is not true. Should any new facts emerge, or any additional information to come to our attention, I will inform the public.” She wrote.

She said the Foreign Affairs staff were invited to the Libyan Foreign Ministry on Tuesday to discuss the matter, and from all indications the Libyans were not happy with the way such a matter was reported and the message that it sends about their country.

Ms. Hanna Tetteh has therefore cautioned the media on information they put out in the public domain and has encouraged the media to check  information from the ministry and many credible sources as possible before going public.

“I think we have to be careful in the information we put out in the public domain. For the various media houses in Ghana that have reported on this issue I think it is useful to point out that Libya has an Embassy in Ghana with a charge d’affairs in charge of same. I would encourage them to check their information from as many credible sources as possible before going public.” she said.



GBC