BNI Director Ordered Us To Prevent Asamoah Boateng

Hearing into the case involving Stephen Asamoah Boateng and the wife and the Bureau of National Investigations continues Wednesday, after the Court presided over by Madam Ajoa Coleman was told about the prevention of the accused persons from traveling outside Ghana. Nana Kwame Osei, a Bureau of National Investigations official at the Kotoka International Airport on Tuesday told the Accra Circuit Court that Stephen Asamoah Boateng was prevented from traveling based on the orders of the Acting Director of BNI, Edward Yaw Donkor. Former Information Minister, Asamoah Boateng, his wife - Zuleika and two kids were prevented from traveling and a scuffle ensued at the airport after Asamoah Boateng's passport was taken from him. The BNI operative told the court that they received directives from Mr Yaw Donkor that Asamoah Boateng, his wife and children will be leaving the country on the June 14, 2009 and that they should implore any means to prevent the traveling party from going out of the country. Nana Kwame Osei was been cross-examined by Nene Amegachater, counsel for Zuleika Asamoah Boateng, wife of the former Information Minister who is facing trial for assaulting, insulting and forcible collection of the husband�s passport from a public officer. Recounting events on the evening of June 14, 2009, Nana Kwame Osei said, Mrs Asamoah Boateng pounced on him, squeezed his neck and twisted his left arm before snatching the passport from him while his other colleagues were checking other passengers. The witness, however, told the court that he had no arrest warrant to execute that directive and pointed out that, seizing Asamoah Boateng's passport was the only option he had to prevent him from traveling. Nene Amegachater suggested to the prosecution witness that the seizure of Asamoah Boateng�s passport prompted the disagreement with the BNI officials at the Airport to which the witness replied in the affirmative. When asked whether he is aware that the laws of Ghana guarantee free movement of persons and that, that movement can only be prevented by due process, Nana Kwame Osei replied in the negative and stressed that he was only acting under instructions by the BNI Director, Yaw Donkor, who had assigned him to ensure that Asamoah Boateng did not travel out of the country. The prosecution witness also stated that he never saw Asamoah Boateng holding any baby when he tried to carry out his boss' orders and also denied that he was carrying a bag containing food meant for the baby.