NDC Kicks Against Dampare Justification Against Arresting Bryan Acheampong
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) appears unconvinced by the Ghana Police Service’s justification against the arrest of the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.
The NDC petitioned the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Service to arrest Bryan for making a “treasonable” comment.
Following this, a meeting was held with the leadership of the two main political parties on Monday, April 17 by the Inspector-General of Police, Dr George Akufo Dampare.
At the meeting, Dr Dampare indicated that the comment by Bryan did not meet the threshold to be classified as criminal.
But the National Communication Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, in a statement dated April 21, said it contended the position of the Police during the meeting.
“The leadership of the party disagreed with the position of the Police that the inflammatory and incendiary comments made By Bryan Acheampong to the effect that, the New Patriotic Party will not hand over power to the NDC in 2025, did not pass the test of criminality.
“We made the point, and still stand by the same, that the statement by Bryan Acheampong breaches Section 207 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), to wit, offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace.”
He said the party still maintains its position, noting that “the said comments by Bryan Acheampong were intended, and did actually incite supporters of the ruling NPP to act in a manner that has the tendency and likelihood to breach public peace in the aftermath of the 2024 General Elections”.
Background
Following Hon Bryan Acheampong’s statement that the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) was not going to hand over power to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2025, the latter petitioned the CID on April 11 to arrest the former.
The NDC referenced the arrest of its Suame Youth Organiser for inciting violence earlier this year to demand the arrest of Hon Bryan.
The NPP retaliated with another petition to the CID for the arrest of former President John Dramani Mahama and NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia for similar comments they’ve made.
The ruling party referenced the “boot-for-boot” and “do-or-die” comments of Mr Mahama and Hon Asiedu Nketia’s reported assertion that the 2024 General Election will be “bloody”.
Each side described the comments as “treasonable” but during a meeting with the leadership of the two major political parties on April 17, Dr Dampare said Mr Mahama, Hon Asiedu Nketia and Hon Bryan Acheampong can not be arrested.
According to him, their comments failed the criminal threshold test after scrutiny by the Legal Unit of the Ghana Police Service- which probes all politically related incidents and determines any breach of legality and whether arrests and prosecutions can be made.
