NEWS Director of Operation Rocks First Lady’s Office in Visa Fraud Posted by on Jul 2, 2009, 09:33

The name Titus Boyle-Thompson is not new to the white settlements in London, especially those living around the Mayor Ken Livingstone area, which earned him the nomenclature of Titus Boyle-Thompson of Mayor Ken Livingstone. The name is not only notorious, but very frightening when it is mentioned in public places. This name was used as a bait to attract President Ernest Bai Koroma to find him a place at the Presidential Lodge, where he was employed as the Director of Operation in the Office of the First Lady.

He was not only a director of operation, but also assigned a supervisory role in the Dankay-Koroma Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization also operating at the Presidential Lodge under the auspices of the First Lady, Mrs. Sia Nyama Kororma. It is not too long ago when this name became a bitter pill to swallow for both the president and his wife, which left them with no alternative but to show Titus Boyle-Thomson the exit door of the Presidential Lodge. He was asked to go home and return no more to his place of work; a decision arrived at by His Excellency, President Koroma when he noticed that Titus Boyle-Thompson had brought the office of the First Lady into disrepute, through his manipulation in what could be referred to as an “American Visa Fraud.”

Mr. Thompson argued in a telephone conversation with this press that the issue involving him and the American Embassy and a member of staff in the Office of the First Lady was not properly explained to President Koroma and down played his dismissal to suspension, until according to him the matter is properly looked into. Further, he disclosed that he had already written a letter to the female staff instructing her to return immediately to the country from the United States of America, which he did not make available to this media house up to press time.

What came to light was a disappointment to both the president and his wife after receiving a tip-off from the American Embassy that a member of the First Lady Delegation to the United States of America Los Angeles trip had defected since April to date. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co, operation intimated this press that a list of names was submitted to the foreign office from the Office of the First Lady for the Los Angeles trip in April which was submitted to the United States Embassy for visas and amongst the names was that of the lady, whose name both the foreign office and Titus Boyle-Thompson refused to make public.

She was issued with a visa like other members of the delegation, and after the occasion in Los Angeles she disappeared and never surfaced until the delegation returned to Freetown, which according to sources was to the knowledge of Mr. Thompson. In his defence to the allegation of conspiracy, Mr. Thompson claimed that the Office of the First Lady was fully aware of the lady overstay in America, which according to him was approved by the United States of America Immigration and Naturalization Services. “She went prior to the arrival of the delegation in America, because she was supposed to prepare the way for them” He claimed, but failed to give reason why she defected.

Another allegation that he fought hard to launder his image, was an incident at the Queen Elizabeth 11, where he was requested to clear goods and containers meant for the Dankay-Koroma Foundation, which he allegedly conducted in a way that was not in the interest of the organization and caused a lot of suspicion by many people about the  motive of the  Dankay- Koroma Foundation, whether it was established to serve the interest of the people or a way of making money for its front liners including Titus Boyle-Thompson.

According to him, he has never done anything out of the way anytime he was sent down the Quay to clear goods and containers belonging to the Foundation. “I always try to obtain waivers from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and do what is required of me, until every goods and containers are out of the Quay” He explained. Meanwhile, whether Mr. Thompson’s exit from the Office of the First Lady is temporal as he claimed or permanent is subject to new development expected to take place.