Opuni Facing ‘Highest Order of Political Persecution’ – B/A NDC

The Brong Ahafo Regional Branch of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has condemned government  for what it calls the “persecution of the immediate past CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board, Dr. Stephen Opuni.”

“This action we consider to be political persecution of the highest order,” a statement from the branch said.

The Brong Ahafo NDC joins the Ashanti branch of the NDC, and the party’s National Organizer, Kofi Adams, who have described the trial as a witch-hunt.

The Attorney General has filed 27 counts including causing financial loss to the state against Dr. Opuni and one Seidu Agongo, CEO of Zeera Group of Companies and Agricult Ghana Limited, beneficiaries of a supposed fraudulent fertilizer supply contract worth GHc43,120,000.

In the view of the Brong Ahafo NDC, the government has clearly “initiated some selective political persecution against his [Opuni’s ] person.”

In a statement signed by the Regional Secretary of the party, Dennis Yeboah Twumasi, the party said the government was engaged in “political propaganda, vilification, open hatred and outright persecution.”

“His [Opuni’s] prosecution only seeks to prevent and reduce his standing in politics based on very spurious allegations of procurement and administrative infractions. This has been preceded by a flurry of media headlines, subjecting him to an open-air political trial and a trial in the court of NPP public opinion supported with earlier pressure from some leading Members of New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Government, to commence prosecution of former NDC Government appointees including Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni for alleged acts of corruption for over a year now.”

The NDC branch, however said it remains confident that Dr. Opuni will be exonerated if he goes through a fair trial.

“We Members of the Brong Ahafo Regional Branch of the NDC strongly believe that Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni will be exonerated and acquitted by the court if only the trial follows due process and is conducted by a court of competent jurisdiction in an open and transparent manner.”

Find below the full statement

PERSECUTION OF Dr. STEPHEN OPUNI BASED ON POLITICAL OPINION

It was widely reported in the media towards the close of last week about the intention of the NPP Government to prosecute Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD). This action we consider to be political persecution of the highest order.

In this regard, we Members of the Brong Ahafo NDC express our strong support for the former hard-working Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni. We clearly see that the Government has initiated some selective political persecution against his person. His prosecution only seeks to prevent and reduce his standing in politics based on very spurious allegations of procurement and administrative infractions. This has been preceded by a flurry of media headlines, subjecting him to an open-air political trial and a trial in the court of NPP public opinion supported with earlier pressure from some leading Members of New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Government to commence prosecution of Former NDC Government Appointees including Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni for alleged acts of corruption for over a year now.

Interestingly, the flood of responses from Government Spokespersons and its party Communicators on Dr. Opuni’s prosecution has given rise for people to question the role that the NPP’s political persecution plays in an open and democratic society. We believe strongly that it is the responsibility of the State to investigate and fight corruption in the public interest. That is fair.

What this means is that, Government Communicators can only serve the interests of the citizenry by putting out truthful and relevant information when it comes to protecting the public purse. But what the NPP is doing is different. They are engaged in political propaganda, vilification, open hatred and outright persecution.

We entreat the general Public and Members of the NDC not to lend credence to NPP’s political agenda. How come that charges leveled against an accused person are leaked to the media even before they are filed in court? It is simply a well-planned, rehearsed and choreographed game in which they have targeted some influential former Appointees of the NDC Government, including Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni for humiliation and harassment. We consider this to be most unfair as he is being condemned even before the trial.

We Members of the Brong Ahafo Regional Branch of the NDC strongly believe that Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni will be exonerated and acquitted by the court if only the trial follows due process and is conducted by a court of competent jurisdiction in an open and transparent manner. We have confidence in our judiciary, and given the opportunity, they will deliver a fair and satisfactory judgment based on the facts and evidence adduced before them.
In the meantime, we declare our unconditional support for Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni as he is presumed innocent until proven otherwise by the court.

Signed

Dennis Yeboah Twumasi
Regional Secretary, B/A

Source: Citifmonline