Ofosu Ampofo Expected to Report to CID Today

By Anita Nyarko-Yirenkyi

Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is expected to report to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) today, as part of bail term to assist police in investigating alleged kidnappings and arson in the country.

The Deputy Director- General of the CID, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) George Tweneboah, who confirmed this to the Ghanaian Times, in Accra, yesterday, said that the NDC chairman is expected to report today June 13, 2019, at the CID headquarters, at 2pm.

ACP Tweneboah said Mr Ampofo was on Tuesday granted GH¢300,000 police bail with two sureties.

It would be recalled that in the Wednesday, June 12, 2019, the Ghanaian Times issue, reported that the NDC national chairman was arrested by the police, following the issuance of an arrest warrant from the court.

Mr Ampofo was arrested by CID around 3pm at the No.3 Church Street Labone, Accra, to assist the police in an alleged arson and kidnapping case.

The Ghanaian Timesreported in its Friday, May 10, 2019, issue that Mr Ampofo declined to honour an invitation by the CID, to assist in investigations into alleged kidnappings and fire outbreaks in the country.

In a letter addressed to the CID boss, Commissioner of Police (COP) Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, through his lawyers, Mr Ampofo stated that the invitation was an attempt to "pass the buck" and shift the blame over the increasing inability of the security agencies, including her outfit, to manage and control the failures of security, and the governance structures of the country as a whole.

The letter was presented on his behalf at the CID headquarters by Mr Ampofo's legal team, made up of Mr Tony Lithur, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong and Abraham Amaliba, which was received by ACP Tweneboah.

The letter sighted by the Ghanaian Times, wassigned by Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine of the Ayine and Felli law firm.

It stated in part that "having reviewed your letter against the background of the ongoing prosecution of our client, we are unable to resist the conclusions that your invitation and so called investigations into kidnapping, arson and other crimes, is collateral to the ongoing criminal trial and that its purpose partly prejudice our client's defence."

The letter stated that their client (Mr Ampofo), viewed the letter of invitation as reflective of an undeniable pattern of political harassment and intimidation, which violates his fundamental human rights, "particularly his constitutional rights to personal dignity and political association that is devoid of intimidation and harassment".

"On our part, while we appreciate that every citizen has a constitutional duty to assist law enforcement agencies in the discharge of their mandate, our considered view is that the current invitation constitutes a gross abuse of the investigative and prosecutorial powers of the police as a public institution," the letter stated.

The letter indicated that "they take the respectful view that since their client was not under arrest for the alleged offences, he was legally entitled to decline the invitation, and have therefore advised him accordingly."

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