Private legal Practitioner and Journalist, Samson Lardi Anyenini, says the Head of National Security, Baba Kamara abused his powers by ordering the arrest of the Managing Director of a quarry company, Marbles and Granite, Dr. Edmund Ayo Ani, who’s accused of circulating pictures of Mahindra vehicles that were being branded in National Democratic Congress (NDC) colours.
Dr. Ani was picked up by the Police on Friday with two others and handed over to the BNI for their involvement in the circulation of photos of vehicles which were allegedly procured for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), but were being re-branded to aid the NDC’s campaign ahead of the November elections.
But speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Samson Lardy Anyenini, said the state had no business getting involved in the matter since it does not constitute a criminal act.
“I cannot find anywhere in our criminal law that a man will be arrested or anybody will be arrested for taking a photograph. The state has no business or whatsoever in some of these things…The state officials that acted in this respect, acted beyond their powers. This is so clear that I think we don’t need to romanticize it. It is a clear abuse of power. Why were the vehicles allegedly parked on a land that belongs to a private company in which the national security adviser had served?”
“I am struggling to see under which law he could be charged with an offence. I haven’t seen any law which specifically makes the taking of photographs at any place an offence or even allowing anybody to take pictures to the best of my knowledge in law is not an offence. You cannot arrest for a non-existing criminal offence…”
Meanwhile the National Organizer of the incumbent NDC, Kofi Adams, who defended the arrest and detention has alleged that an in-law to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Candidate, Nana Akufo Addo, was responsible for the circulation of the photos.
“ I have read that the in-law of Nana Addo supposedly or so, was the one who took those pictures,” Adams alleged.
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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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