Arrest of Otokunor's driver: Go and file for habeas corpus – Buaben Asamoa tells suspect’s attorney

Yaw Buaben Asamoa, the Director of Communications of the incumbent New Patriotic Party, has advised Lawyer Victor Kojoga Adawudu to file habeas corpus if the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) is denying him access to his client.

The National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) is reported to have picked up one Eric Adogla, a driver of Peter Boamah Otokunor, the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress on the dawn of Monday.

According to Buaben Asamoa, Adawudu's first point of call should not have been on a radio station to accuse the NIB of denying him access, but rather file habeas corpus for the NIB to produce the body of his client.

“You can go to court and file habeas corpus and ask NIB to produce the body…if you ask them to produce the body to you, they will produce it. It is not for the New Patriotic Party to deliver a body to you,” Buaben Asamoa told Joy FM in a report monitored by GhanaWeb.

But Adawudu argued that he was acting in the interest of his client and “when the law gives you options it is you who decide which option is beneficial to you. The law has given an option that you can demonstrate, protest within the confines of the law and you also have an option that you can go to court and exercise that right, so allow the people to take the option they want.”

He indicated before he can file habeas corpus, he needs to weigh if it is beneficial to his client but will not act just because the law says so.

Lawyer Adawudu’s client, Eric Adogla, was arrested on Monday, accused of being behind the recent fire outbreaks in some major markets in the country.

Adawudu stated that he was denied access to his client when he visited the NIB offices in Accra and that all attempts to get in touch with him have proved futile.

“Reports suggest he was arrested in connection with the recent fires but as the lawyer, I would treat that as contempt,” Adawudu said.

Adawudu indicated that he first went to the headquarters of the NIB, formerly known as BNI, where he was given a form to fill and was directed to check from the regional office.

“On the form, I indicated that I am his lawyer and need to have a conference with him. I was asked to go to H23 and I even asked [for] a particular person I could speak to on my arrival but was not successful with that,” Adawudu stated.