By Valentia Tetteh
The Minority in Parliament has strongly condemned what they describe as a disturbing trend of national security raids on the residences of former appointees under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration. Their latest concern follows an alleged raid on the home of the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison.
Addressing the media in Parliament on March 20, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin recounted the incident, stating that “at dawn, National Security operatives, led by Richard Jakpa, stormed the former governor’s residence under the pretext of executing a search warrant. According to Mr. Jakpa, he had a warrant to search the premises of the governor. He claimed they were looking for a vault containing money,” the Minority Leader stated.
He further alleged that the operatives overpowered the security personnel at Dr. Addison’s residence and forcefully entered the premises. Despite conducting a thorough search, they reportedly found nothing incriminating. However, Mr. Afenyo-Markin claimed that GH₵10,000 belonging to Dr. Addison went missing, along with pieces of jewelry reportedly owned by his wife. Additionally, three official vehicles were taken away but were later found parked at an undisclosed location.
The Minority insists that while they support accountability, they strongly oppose what they term as human rights abuses and the unlawful excesses of state security operatives. “We are not against accountability, but we are against human rights abuses and the lawless excesses of state security operatives,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin emphasized.
The Caucus is calling on President Mahama to intervene and put an end to what they describe as intimidation and harassment against former government officials. They argue that such actions undermine democratic principles and set a dangerous precedent for political transitions in the country.
