Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has raised issues against the way and manner the National Security Operatives raided the home of former Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr Ernest Addison.
He argues that per the law, the national security officers should have been fair and reasonable by giving Dr Addison a copy of the search warrant they procured before the search was done.
Read also:
- We intend to upgrade the Old Tamale Central Hospital
- Infernos in Ghana’s Cities: A wake-up call for fire safety and urban resilience
- Scenes from Black Stars match which has been described as Chad abuse
- The secrecy associated with National Security operations is undemocratic – Gyampo
- Desperate NPP covering up weight of corruption with Adwoa Sarfo gagging – Lawyer
Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, March 22, he said “The constitution says in Article 23 that administrative bodies must be fair and reasonable in the way they discharge their duties, so if you are coming into somebody’s house you should, at least, beforehand, lay out all the rules about how you carry out your work. Don’t forget National security is still an administrative body.
“In times past we thought National Security is beyond Ghana Police, no, that is not true. Once you are going to function, you have to function within the Constitution. So if you go to somebody’s house with a search warrant but you don’t give him a copy, then straight away you are not being fair and reasonable. Give him a copy of what you have. You don’t see that Governor Addison is given a copy of the search warrant, that is wrong.”
Martin Kpebu earlier demanded to know the specific authorisation in the search warrant obtained to enable the security operatives to raid Addison’s home.
He said inasmuch as he will want Dr Addison to face justice, he will not support any illegal action against him.
“I want to see him face justice, but that does not mean I will support illegal actions against him,” he said on the Ghana Tonight show with Alfred Ocansey on TV3 on Thursday, March 20 while commenting on the raid on the home of Dr Addison by operatives of the National Security.
Regarding the search warrant that Deputy Attroney-General Justice Srem Sai said they obtained to enable them to read the home of Dr Addison, Kpebu said “As of now, we do not know the specific authorisations contained within the warrant.”
He added “You must tell the court exactly what you are searching for. Any action beyond that could undermine the legality of the entire operation.”
Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Justice Srem Sai had justified the raid after stating it was done in accordance with the law.
Srem Sai stated that warrants were procured and used for the raid.
“We take responsibility for the search that happened. We want to make it clear that those searches and the mode in which they were done were in accordance with the law. Warrants were procured and used,” he told journalists in Accra on Thursday, March 20.
Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, also said although he supports Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL), it does not mean that those in charge of ORAL should be brute.
He says they must not act like over-drugged bandits in searching for information.
Reacting to the raid on the home of former Governor of of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison, by National Security Operatives, he said in a Facebook post “I support ORAL. Supporting ORAL doesn’t mean we should be brute and act like overdrugged bandits in ‘searching’ for information.”
In a separate post, he stated that search warrants are used for lawful searches, not to vandalise property, or steal food, money and jewellery.
This is what happens in a civilised country, he said.
He was reacting to the allegation that Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin made that some money could not be found after Richard Jakpa led national security operatives stormed the home of former Governor of Bank of Ghana Dr Ernest Addison in Roman Ridge, Accra, on Wednesday, March 19.
The operatives reportedly disabled the CCTV system before conducting their search.
“Some GHC10,000 on his bed could not be found. So some of these hungry party foot soldiers they use who parade themselves as National Security Operatives are after all perhaps not being paid, and they use this opportunity to steal,” Afenyo-Markin claimed.
In a Facebook post, Franklin Cudjoe said “It is embarassing for the Majority Leader of the ruling govt to be rendering apologies on behalf of state-sponsored thugs who raid the home of citizens. In a civilised country, warrants secured are for lawful searches, not to vandalise property, steal food, money and jewelry.”
According to National Security officials, they had obtained a search warrant before entering Dr. Addison’s Roman Ridge home. They claim the operation was based on intelligence suggesting that the former governor was in possession of funds belonging to the central bank.
However, they firmly denied allegations that operatives stole cash or jewelry from the household.
“We did not take any money or jewelry from Dr. Addison’s home. We will, in due course, make public a full list of items retrieved during the search
