The Ofosu-Ampofo Tape And Our ‘Limping’ Police System

Once again the police administration seems to have gotten itself entangled in a political case it is not sure it has the solution to.

Mr. Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, national chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had been ‘caught’ on tape allegedly coaching communicators of the largest opposition party on how to foment trouble and derail the country’s security system ahead of the 2020 general elections.

The tape also captures him saying that one of his informants, a policewoman, had disclosed to him that, in the eyes of the police community, the Inspector-General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu is ‘a civilian’.

Interestingly, instead of directly arresting Ampofo, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) merely sent an ‘invitation’ to him.

On the said tape, he was heard unveiling plans to arm the party’s militant wings to virtually terrorize and make the country ungovernable ahead of the coming elections.

The seemingly coordinated plan includes the kidnapping of political opponents, physical and verbal attacks on certain personalities and an infiltration into the security services.

On the tape, a voice similar to that of the NDC Chairman is heard planning to officially integrate criminal and violent behaviour into the party’s fabric, target people for assassination and kidnapping, and specifically putting the lives of civil society in danger.

He is also heard endorsing and instigating a campaign of insults and threats against the immediate past presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, and now Chairman of the National Peace Council, Reverend Emmanuel Asante, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Jean Adukwei Mensa, the President of the Republic Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and many others.

He then promised to dole out GH¢5,000 per month to the communicators.

However, fact is that it was not only Ampofo that was captured on the explosive, highly treasonable, two-hour tape.

Also captured were Haruna Iddrisu, Member of Parliament for Tamale South and Minority Leader in Parliament, Sammy Gyamfi, NDC national Communication Officer, Rashid Pelpuo, Member of Parliament for Wa Central, and Alfred Ogbamey, Communications Consultant for the NDC.

The Minority Leader also promised to contribute GH¢5,000 each month to help NDC communicators in their work and further assured to convince the Minority Caucus in Parliament to also make monthly financial contributions to the glaringly treasonable agenda.

Even though the party is seeking to suggest that the tape is doctored, reports say the Church of Pentecost, of which Mr. Ampofo is an Elder, appears to be strongly concerned about its reputation and had since started an investigation to ascertain the authenticity of the tape for further action.

The church must be worried about how a person it had trained to become born-again, sanctified and baptized in the Holy Spirit could allegedly call on people to harm his political opponents and carry out kidnappings, supposedly to create the impression that Ghana is not safe.

Already the party has said the tape is false and concocted, but the multi-million dollar question is: How can a tape be fake, and at the same time be doctored?

THE PUBLISHER is not surprised that Mr. Ampofo reportedly ‘snubbed’ the CID invitation.

In our view, at a time when it is struggling to make headways in the murders of J.B Danquah Adu (MP), Josephine Asante (GPHA), Ahmed Suale (Journalist), and Abdul Wasiu (NDC Taskforce member), the police should have been more robust in handling this latest threat.

We again think the Minority Leader, and all others involved in the Ofosu-Ampofo tape saga, must also be arrested and questioned.