'Nobody should bog me down' – Dr. Agordzo as he is back in BNI custody

ACP Dr. Benjamin Agordzo told journalists shortly after court proceedings on Wednesday morning that he has committed no crime by expressing his opinion on a WhatsApp platform which is “unrelated to any alleged coup.”

“I have not committed any crime. I’ve done nothing wrong. The President called upon us to be citizens. So when I express my opinion on a WhatsApp platform, unrelated to any alleged coup, nobody should bog me down.” – he told newsmen as he was being taken back to the BNI cells.

The vociferous former Director of Police Transformation Programme of Ghana Police Service who just returned from a UN assignment oversee added that he will stand by his opinion and can never be broken down by the arrest and continues detention.

Background:

The vociferous Dr. Agordzo was arrested on Monday, detained and charged by the Beaurua of National Investigation (BIN) with abetment to commit treason for his alleged involvement in a coup plot.

Dr Agordzor, according to his lawyer, was accused of assisting the alleged leader of the coup plotters, Dr Frederick Yao Mac-Palm, through messages he sent on instant messaging platform, WhatsApp.



Mr Kpebu said his client was confronted with the messages in which he had allegedly advised members of the group who were planning a demonstration to seek police permit.

“And there was another where he said Ghana has conditions which are similar to the Arab Spring. That is it. This Arab Spring that today if you check in the media, you will get over 40 commentators who have persistently warned that we should take steps to create employment lest we have Arab Spring. These are the reasons for which he is being kept,” Mr Kpebu added.

According to Mr Kpebu, his client sees his arrest and the subsequent charge as a political witch hunt.

He believes this is so because of his famous presentation at the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) where he bemoaned the political interference in the Police Service.

Dr. Agordzo is back in BNI custody

Peter Toobu’s invitation:

The Bureau for National Investigation (BNI) and National Security operations have confirmed that the former Executive Secretary at the office of the IGP, Superintendent Peter Toobu Lanchene has been invited by the BNI for questioning over his alleged involvement in the plot to destabilize the country.

Supt. Toobu, who is the NDC parliamentary candidate for Wa West Constituency in the Upper West Region also worked in the office of former IGP, David Asante-Apeatu.

Franklin Cudjoe’s statement on the development:

The Founding President of a policy think tank, IMANI Africa has said the manner and reasons for the arrests and invitations of former IGP Secretary, Peter Toobu and serving Police officer, Dr. Benjamin Agordza over the alleged attempted coup is troubling.

In a Facebook post sighted by Awake News, Mr. Cudjoe said though he does not understand the “security strategy of the government going into crucial elections in 2020”, he thinks the development is “troubling”, adding that he fears “this trend may breed disaffection within the rank and file of the security services.”

Below is his full post:

I do not understand the security strategy of the government going into crucial elections in 2020. The manner and reasons for arrests and invitations of former and serving security officers over the alleged attempted coup is troubling. I fear this trend may breed disaffection within the rank and file of the security services.

Frankly, the comments by ACP Dr. Benjamin Agordzo on economic conditions, (chief of them, excruciating unemployment) that could be fertile grounds for agitations, is the same as hearing him present the Police Transformational Agenda to some of us in civil society and together with the top police chiefs, including the former IGP, conclude that the Police Service has poor and mostly inadequate accommodation, old and ineffective weaponry and suffer from politicisation of recruitment into the service.

I suspect such lamentations by the Police Service to some of us in civil society should constitute grounds for treachery- huh? I must say, after the presentation by Agordzo and his colleagues, some of us went public about the challenges of the Police Service and within weeks, the government announced a Ghc 800m stimulus package for the police- never mind it also included plans to buy two helicopters for the Police- which I thought wasn’t top priority for the ‘malnourished’ Police service. Well…