IMANI Africa President Franklin Cudjoe feels the Criminal Investigations Department’s (CID) invitation of the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo over recent kidnapping incidents is a bit ridiculous.
On The Big Issue, he suggested the invitation to the NDC chair was the latest in a string of inconsistencies from the CID because it has been in the news “for all kinds of funny reasons.”
Mr. Cudjoe reminded that the CID last month said it knew the whereabouts of the kidnapped girls from Takoradi.
“We are told that these kidnappers have been located somewhere. All of a sudden the narrative changes. You ask and they [the CID] say we didn’t say that… You told us that you know where the kidnappers are. Have you found the kidnappers and have they told you that this man is the one who is telling them to go and kidnap?”
“So the whole thing begins to look like some comedy of errors and that may have emboldened the NDC,” Mr. Cudjoe stated.
Because of the inconsistencies, he said it was understandable why the NDC would kick against the CID invitation.
“It begins to sound a bit ridiculous and for me, that is where I think the opposition is coming from.”
Criticism from NDC
The Council of Elders of the NDC accused the government of using the country’s police service to intimidate the party’s National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.
Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, who addressed a press on behalf of the party’s Council of Elders on Thursday said there was a deliberate attempt by the government to clamp down on dissenting views by targeting people such as the NDC Chairman
Former President John Mahama also said the CID was setting a bad precedent with ‘useless’ allegations against Mr. Ofosu Ampofo.
“Let them remember that in whatever they do, they are setting precedent. You cannot take any frivolous and vexatious investigation and be inviting the Chairman of the biggest opposition party every day to the CID headquarters on very useless allegations,” he said last Wednesday.
Mr. Ofosu Ampofo had been arraigned and was charged with conspiracy to cause harm and assault against a public officer alongside a deputy National Communication Director of NDC Kweku Boahen.
This was after he was heard on tape allegedly suggesting that plans were in place for acts that would cause fear and panic in society.
He also in the leaked tape allegedly endorsed verbal assaults on the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, among others.
The two national officers of the NDC pleaded not guilty to the charges and are currently on bail in the sum of GHc 100,000 each.
Their case has been adjourned to May 27, 2019.
