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Opinions of Tuesday, 12 July 2016

Columnist: Adofo, Rockson

How irresponsible and unprofessional the BNI is becoming

File photo File photo

Having monitored the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for quite sometime, the way they behave and conduct their investigations, I am compelled to believe that they no longer worth their salt.

They seem to be, if not already, living, in the 18th Century where official criminal investigations were probably conducted without any properly laid down procedures or seriousness, but recklessly.

The BNI is supposed to be a security institution that is neutral with its operatives being fair, firm and friendly, in the execution of their investigative duties into discovering committed fraudulent activities by individuals, corporate bodies and, or institutions against the State.

However, in most cases, they seem to practice selective justice thereby being biased and completely unprofessional.

It is an open secret how they treat people who do not belong to the ruling NDC party when such people fall foul of the law or are presumed to have committed fraudulent activities against the State or against allegedly important personalities in the society.

They (BNI) are all over the place performing the duties which normally fall under the remit of the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID). For why they do that, only they themselves and the government know.

They have no respect for the laws themselves, I can conclude. Not long ago, the court had granted bail to the three South African nationals who had allegedly come to Ghana to train the Close Protection personnel for the NPP flagbearer and other personalities within the NPP, when they were charged with working in Ghana illegally.

The BNI disobeyed the courts by not releasing the accused to the registrar of the court to be processed for bail. They rather bundled them back into their car, drove them away and the next thing we heard after the public outcry condemning the action by the BNI was that the accused had been deported from Ghana.

How on earth could the BNI behave in that irresponsible manner as though they are above the laws of the land?

Do they have more powers than the courts, and if yes, can anyone direct me to that source of information? It was only the NDC who defended that roguish attitude by the BNI as being the right decision to take.

The BNI appears to be heavily politicised with their allegiance lopsidedly tilted towards the NDC. It is only a fool who will dispute this fact.

Anyway, the last straw that broke the camel’s back, necessitating this write-up is their recent investigations into the publicly disclosed intentions by some two NDC fanatics to kill some Supreme Court and High Court judges in the country.

Having done a quickie unprofessional investigations into the guys’ untoward pronouncements, the BNI rushed out with their reckless if not vicious, declaration, that these fanatics (Alistair Nelson and Ako Gunn) have no means of executing their threats and that their bragging was just a witty banter. Therefore, they pose absolutely no threat to the judges or the society at large.

What a heck and an insult to the intelligence of discerning Ghanaians? Had the mentioned NDC little-minds who walk with their stomach not demeaned the person of the Chief Justice, the Supreme Court and the entire judiciary by their inward-looking pronouncements?

Were we not in Ghana when some three High Court judges, Justices Agyei Agyepong, Mrs Koranteng Addo and Opoku Sarkodie with retired Army Major Acquah were murdered in cold blood on 30th June 1982 by some peeved PNDC fanatics for some stupid reasons? They were killed because they were honestly performing their legal duties to the nation and the people of Ghana according as their profession obliged them to.

Now, similar NDC rogues have gone on air to declare with bravado their evil intentions that do not only border on exterminating the judges but also, denigrating the Supreme Court and the entire judicial system of Ghana and here we are with the BNI saying their threats were just mere jokes. Nonsense!

Insulting, say, the Supreme Court Judges or the President is not the same as going on air to declare to the whole world that you will kill them. When you tell the public that you will kill the judges, indicating where they live, is a grievous offence. Whether you are able to kill them or not, is irrelevant. It is the intent that you have expressed that counts. That intent can influence someone to go and kill the judges and when it does happen, who is to blame? Who incited that person to take that action?

To the BNI, I invite you to go to the United States of America, board a plane and then announce in mid-air that you are going to explode a bomb in your holdall bag without actually having a bomb on you. See what will happen to you when the law enforcement agents lay their long arms on you-even though, you have no bomb in your bag but only playing pranks on the air passengers.

Again, come to the UK and start walking in the streets proclaiming on top of your coarse voice that you have a bomb on you that you will set off anytime should you be angered by whomever even though you may have no bomb as alleged. Trust me; you will be lucky if you were not shot dead. Certainly, you will be arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned.

Go to France, wear a big jacket and start shouting in a public place that you are a suicide bomber about to explode your jacket. See if any armed police officer on hand (in the vicinity) will not take you down with volleys of bullets aimed at you even though, you may be playing silly jokes.

What then are the BNI telling us that those people do not have the capability to execute their threats of deaths to the judges? Is their threatening pronouncements not in the same bracket as the person claiming to have a bomb on him but who actually does not have any but gets arrested when in the US or UK? Is their crime not similar to that of a fake suicide bomber who will be taken down in France?

Come on BNI, you are not playing with kids but far intelligent people. The BNI in their current state seem to have outlived their importance. I find their assertion unfortunate, unprofessional and utterly outrageous.

Those two criminals including the host of the programme, Salifu Maase alias Mugabe, must be imprisoned for not less than a year to teach them a lesson as bushmen as they are. They think they own Ghana because their President and party are in power.

Read what the BNI said that has angered me so much hence this publication, by checking the web link below.

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Threat-on-judges-BNI-s-political-statement-inept-Baako-454069

For justice and peace to prevail in Ghana, I call on all reasonable Ghanaians to vote OUT President Mahama and NDC come election 2016. They have corrupted and weakened all State institutions hence this ridiculous behaviour by the personnel of the BNI.

Shame on you, BNI.