General News of Friday, 30 July 2004

Source: Chronicle

Police Chief Denies NDC Allegations

Dr. Kofi Kesseh Marfo, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, has denied allegations by a top member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the government was using the police to intimidate and harass the party's aspiring parliamentary candidates.

He observed that as the institution responsible for the maintenance of law and order in the country, they would continue to be non-partisan in the discharge of their work.

He, however, disclosed that the Ghana Police Service would be very firm to deal with any body or political party that flouted the laws of this land, especially during the forthcoming general election.

He assured Mr. Joshua Alabi, the Greater Accra regional chairman of the NDC, who made the allegations that the police would stay on focus and never allow the government to interfere in its operations.

He was contributing to a discussion on the Tema-based private radio station, Adom FM's "Adwa So Nsem" morning programme yesterday.

Dr. Marfo stated that the Police service which worked under the P(NDC) for 19 years, was the same service which was still in place, adding, " we will continue to work with every government as best as we can in the supreme interest of the country."

The NDC top goon, last week, accused the government of using the Police to intimidate his party's candidate whom the NPP see as a threat to its candidates in a particular constituency.

Mr. Alabi cited the case of Nii Nortey Vanderpuye, the NDC parliamentary candidate for the Odododiodo constituency in the Greater Accra region, who was recently invited by the police to answer questions on charges of electoral malpractice.