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General News of Monday, 13 September 2010

Source: peacefmonline

Kwesi Pratt question CID invitation to Kwabena Adjei

Outspoken social commentator and a staunch member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has described as “rubbish, thoughtless and a completely reckless action” the invitation extended by the police to the National Chairman of the ruling NDC, Dr Kwabena Adjei.

Mr. Pratt, who questioned the basis of the police CID’s invitation, argues that the NDC National Chair had not committed any offence for his statements regarding the cleansing of the judiciary.

“For me the real substantial…issue is the invitation allegedly extended to Dr. Kwabena Adjei by the police. I am highly disappointed…if somebody went to the police today, and told the police to arrest me because I’m drinking a bottle of Voltic water, will the police arrest me? Tell me, will the police arrest me?...No crime has been committed!...The police have no business inviting Dr. Kwabena Adjei. Why…, what is the basis of the crime Dr Kwabena Adjei has committed? What crime has he committed?” Mr. Pratt asked.

In mid-August, the NDC National Chairman generated a storm of controversy when in an interview with CitiFM, threw a word of caution to Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood that should she fail to purge the judiciary of the rot that has engulfed it; the NDC would take up the responsibility of cleaning the nation’s third arm of government.

His remarks drew widespread condemnation from a section of the public including the opposition, New Patriotic Party, (NPP), the Minority in Parliament, the Judiciary, the Alliance for Accountable Governance, amongst others.

The pressure group argues that the comments are not only unconstitutional but also treasonable, and as a result, lodged a formal complaint with the Nima Division of the Ghana Police Service for the arrest of Dr. Kwabena Adjei.

The Director-General of the police C.I.D, DCOP Prosper Kwame Agblor, subsequently placed a call to the NDC Chair inviting him for questioning.

But contributing to a panel discussion on Radio Gold’s “Alhaji and Alhaji” programme, the Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper opined that there is so much “political gymnastics” associated with the issue, which will serve no useful purpose in the end.

“…If indeed Dr Kwabena Adjei has violated the laws of Ghana…then of course Dr Kwabena Adjei is not above the law…In this particular case the police should tell us, what offence Dr. Kwabena Adjei has committed? What is this political gymnastics? Useless gymnastics which will achieve nothing for anybody,” he stated.

A charged Kwesi Pratt, who expressed disgust at how the NDC Chair’s comments had been blown out of proportion, was unrelenting in his scathing attacks on the police declaring that it was thoughtless of them (police) to have followed up on AFAG’s complaint.

“This is not a particularly thoughtful action by the police. This is a reckless action, completely reckless and indefensible action…let’s be honest, let’s put political spin aside. I was one of the first people who came out and said, ‘look, you didn’t speak well and that he should’ve appreciated the context within which he spoke’ and so on…but to go on and create the impression that he had committed a crime. What law? What is the law?...My goodness, what is happening in this country?...i’ve no more comments to make. I’m so disgusted by this development I’m not going to waste my time making comments on this. And we’re all sitting down…and people are happy. What rubbish is that!” Mr. Pratt screamed.