Police Orders Probe Into “Treasonable” Comments Saga

The Head of the Public Affairs Directorate at the Ghana Police Headquarters, DSP Kwesi Ofori, has cautioned the public to be refined in their reportage, and not make any unguarded utterances under the guise of freedom of speech.

DSP Kwesi Ofori, who gave the advice today in connection with the arrest of a Journalist, Justice Annan, for allegedly making treasonable remarks, while taking part in a radio programme, last Thursday, stressed that the Police Service has a unit that monitors every happenings on the media landscape, and stated that the service will not hesitate to question anyone whose comments smacks of subversion.

“Ghana is a country where freedom of speech is enshrined in the constitution…but if anyone goes on-air or any mass gathering and says things that threaten the unity of this country…the police has every right to invite the person to clarify his/her comments…we have a media monitoring desk within the Public Affairs Directorate…so we invited him to the Police Headquarters for him to substantiate his claims…this is not an attempt to clamp down on the activities of the media,” he told Kwami Sefa-Kayi in an interview on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo”.

Mr. Annan has been ordered to report at the CID headquarters at 10:00am today, Monday 26th October, as part of his bail conditions.

The Police PRO, who declined to go into the merits of the matter, because it was still under investigations, stressed that Mr. Annan’ comments on that day sought to undermine the integrity of the military.

There was an unusual movement by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Thursday evening when a squad from the unit stormed the studious of Asempa FM over a Mr. Annan’s allegation that the Ghana Armed Forces are angry with President John Evans Atta Mills and could be planning something sinister against him.

However, when reached for his side of the story, the former Investigative Journalist of the “Informer” Newspaper stridently denied that he was instigating the public against the President.

Giving his version of what transpired that day; Mr. Annan said he was invited to discuss the President’s visit to the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), the fire at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the demolition of 300 houses at Achimota.

During the discussion, there was a playback of TOR workers making their demands, especially about salary arrears which according to him re-echoed his position that the military too are unhappy about the President’s inability to fulfill his promise about some arrears due them.

Mr. Annan, who is also the spokesman for Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah said, during his submission he did allege that some peeved commanders had removed the President’s pictures from their offices.

“I sensed danger when calls started coming in from national security following my comments…A squad of detectives from the CID headquarters were already downstairs but the men did not recognize me and so i whizzed past them without notice,” he disclosed.

They made away with a copy of the discussion on CD, he said, and the Director General of the CID, DCOP Adu Poku, later invited me for questioning, to which i said i could not oblige at the time, but the next day was okay by me.

“I was asked a number of questions by the CID Chief and others, when I got there. They asked me about my political affiliation, my intentions and why, according to them, I was inciting the military against the government. When he asked my view about the President’s visit to TOR, I said “it is an indictment on the Energy Minister,” he added.

Meanwhile, the former “Informer” reporter, who has a date with the Police CID today, maintains that he “cross-checked” his facts before voicing them out.

Source: Kwame Frimpong/peacefmonline