General News of Wednesday, 22 June 2016

Source: kasapafmonline.com

Supreme Court orders AG to produce agreement between Ghana, USA on Gitmo Two

The two  ex-Gitmo detainees, Khalid Mohammed Salih al-Dhuby and Mahmmoud Omar Mohammed Bin Atef The two ex-Gitmo detainees, Khalid Mohammed Salih al-Dhuby and Mahmmoud Omar Mohammed Bin Atef

Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Marrieta Brew Appiah Oppong has told the Supreme Court Wednesday that there was no formal or written agreement between Ghana and the United States of America before the two Gitmo detainees were accepted into the country.

According to her, there was however a diplomatic exchange of notes with no legal backing ahead of the two ex Al Qaeda militants being flown into Ghana.

A suit, filed by Margaret Bamfo, an 86-year-old retired Conference Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Henry Nana Boakye, a student of Ghana School of Law, wants the Supreme Court to declare that President John Mahama acted unconstitutionally by bringing in the Al-Qaeda terrorists to Ghana.

Kasapa FM’s Court Correspondent, Daakyehene Ofosu Agyeman reported that the five member Supreme Court Justices presided over by Justice William Atuguba has ordered the Attorney General to produce the verbal agreement between Ghana and USA concerning the two Gitmo detainees on July 6.

On Wednesday, January 6, 2016, the Foreign Affairs Minister announced that Ghana has accepted a plea from the International Criminal Tribunal to provide shelter for two cleared terrorist suspects of Yemeni origin who were detained in Guantanamo Bay prison by US authorities.

The two were Khalid Mohammed Salih al-Dhuby and Mahmmoud Omar Mohammed Bin Atef.

The announcement sparked uproar among the citizenry as the two ex detainees were feared to be a security threat to the country.

The brouhaha caused the Minister to be hauled before the House to give the Legislators a briefing.