Ayawaso Probe: 3 Places Were Under Surveillance

Colonel Michael Kwadwo Opoku

DIRECTOR OF Operations of the National Security, Colonel Michael Kwadwo Opoku has told the Justice Emile Short’s Commission that it was not only the residence of the National Democratic Congress candidate for the by-election that was under surveillance on the day of the shootings.

According to him, there were two other places under checks by the SWAT Team of the National Security.

He gave the names of the places as the Elton Hotel in East Legon where he said the New Patriotic Party(NPP) was using as its operations Centre and the Skills Centre around Okponglo.

The Director is appearing before the Justice Emile Short’s Commission today to give testimonies into the circumstances leading to the shooting incident on January 31, 2019 during the by-election.

Asked whether he played any role in the security arrangement on that day, he supported the initial statement by Interior Ministry.

He said on January 17, he was invited to a meeting to the Ministry of Interior for a meeting chaired by Deputy Interior Minister, Henry Quartey, and that the Controller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service, Kwame Takyi was part of that meeting.

He said during the meeting, he was requested to support the police and the Interior Ministry with two things which were to provide security backup and provide a place as headquarters for their taskforce at Abelemkpe on the day of election.

He indicated that on the 24th of January, he was invited again to tell whether the requests would be met.

According to him, he granted the requests of the Interior Ministry during the second meeting on January 24th.

BY Melvin Tarlue

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