The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has revealed that it disagrees with the police on a number of critical issues at a recent meeting with the leadership of the police and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), topical one being the incendiary comments by Agric minister, Bryan Acheampong.

According to the party, it has taken notice of a recent statement authored by the Ghana Police Service dated 17th April 2023. It confirmed that indeed, upon the invitation of the Inspector General of Police, the leadership of the NDC participated in a meeting with the top brass of the Ghana Police Service to discuss some pertinent issues of concern to them.

The party maintained that the statement by Bryan Acheampong breaches Section 207 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), “to wit, offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace”.

Owing to this, the party urged the Ghana Police Service to take a relook particularly at its stance on Bryan Acheampong’s incendiary comments, consistent with the party’s position on similar recent events.

“The leadership of the party disagreed with the position of the Police that the inflammatory and incendiary comments made by Bryan Acheampong to the effect that, the New Patriotic Party will not hand-over power to the NDC in 2025, did not pass the test of criminality.”
National Democratic Congress

Furthermore, the NDC revealed that it expects the Police to act on the matter with the speed and urgency with which they acted in apprehending and prosecuting other political actors for making similar statements in recent time. It reckoned that once the Police dedicates its time to dealing with the comments by Bryan Acheampong, its move can engender the confidence of the Ghanaian people in the new interventions it has introduced.

Concerns raised by NDC

While commending the Police for the cordial nature of the discussions, and for their initiative in establishing a Police Election Security Secretariat to work with Political Parties to enhance election security and other politically related matters, the NDC highlighted that at the meeting, it was not on the same page with the police on a number of issues.

Contained in a statement signed by the national communication officer of the party, Sammy Gyamfi, it explained that the leadership of the NDC registered its displeasure over the handling of Police investigations into the murder of Silas Wulochamey, a 28-year-old teacher trainee graduate, who met his untimely death after he was stabbed by bandits associated with the New Patriotic Party at Banda Kabrono during the 2020 Voter Registration Exercise.

Following what the party described as a “dastardly act”, it stated that seven persons were arrested by the Police in connection with the heinous crime. However, the party noted, that nearly three years on, investigations into this serious matter have stalled, as the suspects have been unceremoniously granted bail without justifiable basis, while the Police claims to be unable to obtain a pathologist report.

“The party found these excuses untenable and unsatisfactory, and condemned the Police’s handling of this important matter.”
National Democratic Congress

Furthermore, the party raised concerns that its representatives at the said meeting further expressed dissatisfaction over the inaction of the Police in investigating the killing of some Ghanaians during the 2020 General Election in the Techiman South and Ablekuma Central Constituencies. In this regard, the party vehemently rejected the Police’s claim that it was unable to identify the Military Officers and other people in uniform, who shot and killed these innocent Ghanaian citizens.

“The party made the point forcefully, that the said military officers were under the Command of the Military High Command and were deployed to these locations on that fateful day under strict instructions. It could not therefore be said that their identities were unknown. In any case, some of these incidents were captured on camera and several videos in circulation, which could provide a lead to the Police in their investigations.”
National Democratic Congress

The party further expressed displeasure at the inhumane and degrading treatment that was meted out to a young activist of the party by name Mohammed Nasir, who was arrested in connection with disturbances at the recent NDC National Youth and Women conference in Cape Coast. It explained that Mohammed Nasir was beaten and tortured for four days continuously while in Police custody.

Subsequently, the party charged the Police to expedite action on these serious murder and unresolved cases.