Today it’s Addison, tomorrow it could be you or me – Kpebu on why National Security operatives must work with rules

A Private Legal Practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has raised concerns over the execution of a search warrant at the residence of former Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr. Ernest Addison.

According to Kpebu, national security operatives failed to follow proper procedures, including providing a copy of the warrant to Addison before conducting the search.

“The law is clear. When you conduct a search, you must provide a copy of the warrant to the subject. That’s basic,” Kpebu stated.

Citing Article 23 of the constitution, Kpebu emphasized that administrative bodies must act fairly and reasonably, adding that the absence of clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) for national security searches leaves room for abuse.

“This is why we always talk about fairness in administrative actions. If we allow state institutions to act arbitrarily, today it’s Addison, tomorrow it could be you or me,” he added.

He also noted that while the police have specific service instructions guiding searches, national security lacks such detailed regulations, which may have contributed to the issues surrounding this particular operation.

He has called for urgent reforms in national security search procedures following the controversial search at Dr. Ernest Addison’s residence.

“The way national security operates leaves a lot of room for abuse. Unlike the police, which has clear service instructions, national security doesn’t have detailed guidelines for how to conduct searches,” Kpebu said.

He urged authorities to establish clear guidelines to ensure fairness and transparency in future operations.

Kpebu also stressed that failing to provide a copy of the search warrant to Addison was a violation of due process.

“If you are coming into someone’s house with a warrant, at the very least, they should be allowed to see it. How do you execute a search without giving the person the document that justifies your actions?” he questioned.

Kpebu warned that if such lapses are not addressed, similar issues could arise in future cases, potentially undermining public trust in national security operations.

The post Today it’s Addison, tomorrow it could be you or me – Kpebu on why National Security operatives must work with rules first appeared on 3News.

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