The leadership of the Ghana Police Service have met the national leadership of the two leading pollical parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), over recent petitions for arrests they issued.

According to a statement issued by the police on Monday, April 17, 2023, the meeting was held, Monday, in the presence of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, and it offered the parties the opportunity to air their grievances, particularly on recent comments made by political actors which were deemed to be provocative.

“The Police this afternoon met with the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the National Police Headquarters In Accra.

“The meeting which was called at the instance of the Inspector-General of Police was necessitated by press statements issued by the parties and subsequently followed by petitions to the Police Service with each party calling on the Police to arrest certain individuals of the other side for some alleged offences.

“At the meeting, both parties were given the opportunity to air their grievances. The main issue raised by them was in respect to comments by some political actors from both sides of the divide considered to be inflammatory,” parts of the statement by the police read.

The police also indicated that it updated the political parties on measures it is taking to handle the 2024 elections and other political issues in the country.

It also updated the parties on investigations into recent political violence in the country including the ones seen at the NDC Youth and Women Congress in Cape Coast and the NPP constituency elections in Enchi.

Background:

The NDC, in a statement issued by its general secretary, Fifi Kwetey, called on the Ghana Police Service to as a matter of urgency arrest Bryan Acheampong for the “NPP will not hand over power to the NDC” comments he made which they described as treasonable.

Fifi Fiavi also said that his party will resist any attempt aimed at subverting the will of the Ghanaians people.

“As the political tradition that ushered in our nation’s stable constitutional order, the NDC will do whatever it takes to resist the misrule and machination of the oppressor and thus protect and preserve our democracy.

“We urge the Ghana Police Service to act with dispatch in this matter. We recall the alacrity with which it recently apprehended and charged the Suame Constituency Youth Organiser of the NDC for expressing views that were deemed to be inciteful,” Kwetey stated.

He continued: “No one is in any doubt that the statement of Bryan Acheampong is even more incendiary and subversive. We, therefore, expect the same level of speedy action from the Ghana Police Service in arresting Bryan Acheampong and bringing him to book.”

The NPP, while reacting to the petition issued by the NDC, also issued a counter-petition calling for the arrest of former President John Dramani Mahama and the party’s National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah for previous comments they made.

"If anybody has to be arrested by the police for treasonable comments, then certainly it is John Dramani Mahama" for his continuous 'do or die for the NDC' comment in reference to the 2024 general elections, and the Chairman of the main opposition National Democratic Congress, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, "for his brazen proclamation that members of the NDC are willing to sacrifice their lives to win the 2024 elections," parts of a statement issued by the National Organiser of the NPP read.

Read the full statement of the police below:

NEWS RELEASE:

POLICE MEET LEADERSHIP OF NPP AND NDC OVER HAPPENINGS ON THE POLITICAL FRONT pic.twitter.com/QSPqiFw0Pv

— Ghana Police Service (@GhPoliceService) April 17, 2023

IB/OGB