The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, has maintained that the leaked viral audio tape attributed to him was doctored by some malicious persons.
While maintaining that such a meeting was convened at the party’s office, the utterances attributed to him were not a true representation of what transpired.
He made the comments after he was granted bail and slapped with three accounts of conspiracy to commit crime to wit causing harm, threat to harm and rioting on Monday.
The charges were proffered against him after the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service held him for about ten hours.
But addressing party supporters after his release, Ofosu Ampofo indicated that he’s a peaceful personality and will not destabilize Ghana’s security for political gains.
“I have been in politics for the past 30 years, there is no record that any insult has ever proceeded from my mouth. My decision in the recent by-election at Ayawaso West Wuogon indicates that I am a very peaceful person because I will want to protect lives and properties than politician gains. We will not undermine peace and stability of this country but we will not own doctored messages. We still want to remain that whatever has been put out there in several forms and shapes are doctored to undermine the party,” he told party supporters.
Mr. Ofosu Ampofo also indicated that the police were professional in their job.
Mr. Ofosu Ampofo was invited after being heard in a leaked audio recording outlining plans to match up against groups from the governing New Patriotic Party ahead of the 2020 elections.
His plans also included verbal attacks on the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, and the Chairperson of the Peace Council, Prof. Emmanuel Asante.
The NDC chairman said his approach to the election was going to be different and said there were plans for “covert and overt operations.”
Prof. Asante has come out to say he does not hold any grudge against Mr. Ofosu Ampofo for his purported utterances.
The NDC’s first response was to say its offices have been bugged following the circulation of recordings and accused the government of engaging in illegal espionage.
The National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi said: “we know the government is engaged in illegal espionage activities in this country; employing state resources and the national security apparatus to spy on political opponents.”
But the government has denied claims it bugged the offices of the NDC after the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi held that the government is engaged in “illegal espionage.”
Mahama’s comments
Former President John Mahama had first called sympathizers and members of the party to disregard the leaked tape with contempt.
“Our opponents are good at propaganda and they will come up from time to time with things to distract us. This issue of a [leaked] tape is just a distraction. Dismiss it with the contempt it deserves. Let us focus. Our message must be to the Ghanaian people,” he said.
But most recently, he was claiming the party’s chairman did not incite violence towards the Peace Council Chair in the recording.
Speaking at the Perez Chapel in Accra on Sunday, Mr Mahama said the NDC was only unhappy that the Peace Council Chair, condemned comments made by him in the wake of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence “without condemning the violence. That was our problem.”
Source: Citnewsroom.com
