Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Haruna Mohamed has questioned the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s use of high bail conditions and detention practices.
According to him, the party should be wary of the precedents being set as the NPP will adopt the same measures when they are in power.
His statements come following the arrest of Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) CEO Edwin Provencal by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), while he was attempting to board a flight at Kotoka International Airport.
Speaking on Channel 1 TV and monitored by NewsDesksGH on November 12, Haruna Mohammed said he was asked by the party’s General Secretary to confirm the arrest at EOCO on November 10.
On getting there, he said he was was prevented from seeing Mr. Provencal because visiting hours had ended.
He then said he was told that their priority should be to look for properties to post bail for Edwin Provencal.
“I said, well we already know because that is your modus operandi and what you’ll do is what you want to do,” he said
“If I were really NDC we’ll be asking our agents, as in those working as CEOs or Ministers or this particular state institution, to be very careful with the kind of bail conditions they give,”
He also pointed to other recent detentions to illustrate his point, noting that the former National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) CEO Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba remained in custody, and his wife had only been released after meeting a bail condition of 50 million cedis on November 11, having been held since June.
He also noted that the Deputy Executive Director at the National Service Authority, Gifty Oware, was released after meeting a 10 million cedi bail condition following nearly a month in custody, while her boss, Osei Assibey-Antwi, remained detained.
“Her boss is still there. 800 million Ghana cedis bail condition. Which is more than what has been used to build the jubilee house.”
“What kind of bail condition is this. But it is good, they have set it. And I don’t think that tomorrow when this is done to them the media will say that it is too harsh. They’ve done it, it becomes the base,”
Haruna Mohammed assured the NDC that unless they stop the practice of setting such high bail conditions, the NPP will reciprocate.
“The will leave government and when they leave government, tactics as precedents will be very key.”
“If I was them we’ll be telling them to be very careful in the use of these bail conditions to destruct and to let people stay in custody for a long time.”
Mohamed stressed the party should advise agencies to stop, warning strongly that similar measures will be used on them in the future.
“If you can use dirty spoon to eat, tomorrow when they give you the same dirty spoon don’t complain that’s it’s dirty. Use it and be very happy to use it. If you don’t even take time, we’ll give you a rusting spoon,” he cautioned.
“If I were them, we’ll ask them to hasten slowly and stop. We’re not doing religion here, we’ll do same to them, if they don’t stop.”
