The Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare appears to be under intense pressure from the two leading political parties in the country, which have separately beseeched his office with tough demands.
The Ghana Police, led by Dr. Dampare, is yet to act on the petitions the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have submitted for the arrest and prosecution of no mean persons in these political parties.
The public is interested in seeing whether the Ghana Police would have the testicular fortitude to arrest former President John Mahama, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, National Chairman of the NDC and Bryan Acheampong, Minister for Food and Agriculture.
The ‘humble petition’ of the NDC was submitted on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 by Abraham Amaliba, the Director, Legal Affairs of the NDC and that of the NPP was handed in by Henry Nana Boakye, National Organiser.
The Chronicle does not intend to repeat the various comments by the members of both political parties which are at the center of the petitions.
SUAME INCIDENT
Whereas the NDC petition did not cite which law was broken by the alleged “reckless, dangerous, instigating and unparliamentarily comments” by Bryan Acheampong, that of the NPP claimed those of Mahama and Asiedu Nketiah were “conducive to breaches of the peace, contrary to Sections 180 and 207 of the Criminal Offenses Act, 1960 (ACT 29) respectively, and which offences are to be dealt with pursuant to Section 1 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (ACT 30).”
However, NDC draws its strength from the recent arrest, investigation, charge, arraignment and prosecution of the NDC Suame Constituency Youth Organiser at the Asokwa Circuit Court in Kumasi.
The party urged the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to replicate with same alacrity, with which it was prosecuting the Suame case, to that of Bryan Acheampong.
The NDC cited that “one of the foundation pillars of the rule of law is equality before the law and the maxim of equity is equality by equity.”
INFLUENCE
The NPP argued in its petition that given the influential position that Mr. Mahama and Asiedu Nketia occupy, it is of the firm conviction that such “criminally reckless” commentary coming from them portends a great danger for the peace and stability of the State.
They claim further that those comments also have the potential of inciting supporters of the NDC to disturb the constitutional order.
It was the submission of the NPP that the alleged “treasonable and incendiary” commentary by Mr. Mahama and Asiedu Nketiah taken together constitute a patterned conduct.
They explained that the said conduct aimed at inciting NDC party lackeys to employ all means including violence, so long as electoral victory is assured.
CONDEMNATION
The general public have greatly condemned the treasonable comment, citing the damage it could cause the democracy of the nation.
A founding member of the NPP, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, in a letter said the comments by minister Acheampong “is unfortunate and in bad taste.”
He said he was writing “as an elderly citizen of Ghana and a founding member of the New Patriotic Party who cannot sit down unconcerned in the face of such a destructive political statement by some recalcitrant elements in the political class.”
