Constitutional Rights and Policy Strategy Advisor at Democracy Hub, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has questioned why individuals allegedly identified by the police as high-profile sponsors of activities linked to “Ghana Jollof” have not been arrested if investigators have established a criminal connection.
His comments follow a press conference by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Friday, September 18, during which the police said their investigations had uncovered financial transactions involving what they described as “high-profile” persons who allegedly funded activities connected to the ‘Ghana Jollof’ social media platform.
The police said forensic analysis of mobile phones and mobile money records had revealed significant transfers to Salomey Awiti Baffoe, a senior nurse in Techiman who has been arrested in connection with the case.
According to the police, Baffoe allegedly transferred portions of the money to other individuals involved in circulating videos produced by Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, popularly known as Ghana Jollof.
The CID Director-General, COP Lydia Yaako Donkor, said investigators had identified persons allegedly financing the activities.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, September 19, Mr Barker-Vormawor questioned whether evidence of financial transactions alone was sufficient to establish that the alleged sponsors had financed criminal conduct.
“It is not sufficient to look at mobile money transactions on a person’s phone and tie that to their online conduct,” he said.
He argued that investigators needed to establish a more direct link between the money and the alleged criminal activity.
“Unless you can establish more that money was given for the person to come and make a conduct that the coup is happening, which are found to be criminal, you cannot go about and say things like that.”
Mr Barker-Vormawor then questioned why the individuals allegedly identified by the police had not themselves been arrested if investigators believed there was a genuine connection between their conduct and the alleged offences.
“If the police is saying that that is what their investigations have established, why haven’t those people themselves been picked up and arrested if they believe that there’s a genuine connection between their conduct and the criminal conduct they believe has happened in this particular case?”
He added:
“This is what I want to see.”
Mr Barker-Vormawor said the issue should be resolved through evidence, particularly if the police are making public claims about prominent individuals allegedly financing the activities under investigation.
The police have maintained that their investigations are ongoing and that evidence recovered from mobile devices and other sources will form part of the case against persons found to have been involved.
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