Linking Nana, Koda to 3 SA 'terrorists' 'madness' - Boahen

Concluding that Nana Akufo-Addo and his head of security, Capt. Koda, brought in the three alleged South African terrorists, who have been arrested by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), is “madness”, a Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen, has said.

Referring to claims by the governing National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) Koku Anyidoho to that effect, Mr Boahen said the NDC Deputy General Secretary’s allegations were “absurd” and “immature”.

“…Only the unrepentant immature person will draw that conclusion…the police have not done any investigations, so, it is only immature people exhibiting amateurish [behaviour], who will draw that conclusion.

“Even nursery kids will not talk that way. Let’s not rush. …It is absurdity of the highest order,” the lawyer said, and advised Mr Anyidoho to strive to speak in a manner complimentary of his (Koku’s) father’s stature as a respected senior citizen and statesman in the country.

“… To draw that conclusion is madness…even if criminals are arraigned before court, the presumption is that they are innocent until proven guilty,” Mr Boahen told Chief Jerry Forson on Accra100.5fm’s breakfast show ‘Ghana Yensom’ on Tuesday March 22.

The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), according to Mr Anyidoho, will invite for questioning Captain Koda, in connection with the arrest of the three South Africans.

Mr Anyidoho told Ekow Mensah-Shalders on Class91.3fm’s Executive Breakfast Show on Tuesday March 22 that the three retired South African police officers, who, according to the Daily Graphic, were picked up at Agona Duakwa in the Central Region for allegedly engaging in activities that threaten the nation’s security, were brought into the country by Ghana’s biggest opposition party.

The three, as reported by the Daily Graphic, are: Major Ahmed Shaik (retd), 54; Warrant Officer Denver Dwahye, 33, and Captain Mlungiseli Jokani, 45. They were picked up at the El-Capitano Hotel where they had been based since arriving in the country early this month.

According to the national daily, they were said to be training some young people in various security drills, including unarmed combat, weapon handling, VIP protection techniques, and rapid response manoeuvres.

The paper said although the suspects had initially indicated that they were training the young men for the owner of the hotel, Captain Kwesi Acquah (retd), who is also the owner of Delta Force Security Company Limited, the leader of the group, Major Hazis, was reported to have told interrogators that they were brought in by an unnamed retired military officer to train young men as bodyguards and a rapid response for some politicians and political parties.

The Daily Graphic quoted highly placed security sources as having revealed that Hazis had also indicated that he was in Ghana in 2012 for similar purposes.

The sources said considering the heightened security alert, the suspects would be thoroughly interrogated.

They said a perusal of their passports also indicated that the visas issued to them were business visas.

“The visas did not entitle them to engage in any kind of contract or business as they were found to be engaged in,” one of the sources explained to the Daily Graphic.

Profile of STL

The sources said when a search was conducted in their rooms, a comprehensive report on the operations of Superlock Technologies Limited (STL) was found in Hazis’ possession.

The STL is the company engaged by the Electoral Commission (EC) for the transmission of collated results to the EC during the 2012 general election.

They said the document contained a detailed profile of all the workers of STL, both past and present, and identified key staff members, assessing their strengths and vulnerabilities.

The source said Hazis denied authoring the document but he could not explain where he got it from.