Ace Ankomah
Respected Private legal practitioner Mr. Ace Annan Ankomah has called on the government of Ghana to arrest and prosecute the leader of the De-Eye, a ‘militia’ group associated with the ruling New Patriotic Party.
Mr. Ankomah was speaking on the joy News’ Investigative report that alleged that a ‘vigilante’ group associated with the ruling New Patriotic Party has been training at the Osu Castle.
Quoting copiously from the Criminal Offenses Act 29, the legal luminary said though the documentary does not seem to provide much information, the admission of the group that they have been providing some security services and are being trained by former military officers when they have not been licensed to do so is an act of criminality and must be prosecuted.
He called on the attorney general to prosecute the leaders of the De-Eye group since the group has admitted to conducting activities that breaches the constitution of Ghana.
Background
Joy News’ Manasseh Azure Awuni reported that a militia group associated with the governing NPP has been training Osu Castle at Accra.
The group according to the report had been meeting at the facility for close to two years.
The documentary has been met with stiff opposition from the government and leaders of the ruling party.
The National Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Sammy Awuku, has described the documentary as empty.
According to him, the over-hyped documentary did not contain any substance and message as advertised.
Mr. Awuku was surprised that a group described as a militia and started training 2 years ago have no record of acts of violence and disturbances but rather organizes press conferences to condemn and discouraged political motivated violence, a group that called on its colleagues to use dialog to address their grievances.
He indicated that the issue about the location of the said militia at the Osu castle is not a security zone adding that the Osu castle falls under the Ghana Museums and Monument Board.
Gov’t Condemnation
Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has also condemned the JoyNews documentary.
In a four-page statement Mr. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the documentary has “only puts together conjecture, malice, mischief, sensationalism and unvalidated suspicions” which contains “significant misrepresentations and misleading impressions.”
Free Hype
Secretary of the De Eye Group Tracey Asamoah, in an interview with Accra based Okay Fm said the group is grateful to Manasseh Azuri Awuni for the “hype” and “free publicity”, revealing that it will help them get more market for their services.
“This is too cheap for an undercover job. The Manasseh I knew from Krachi Secondary school, this is so cheap.” she said.
Ms Tracey Asamoah said they are an employment agency that facilitates the recruitment of their members into openings in government through lobbying and provides other services.
According to her, but for the name of “their father” President Nana Addo in the documentary, they love the hype they have gotten. She claimed that President Akufo-Addo knows nothing about their activities even though their boss is a former bodyguard to then candidate Akufo-Addo.
Source: The Evening Mail
