The
NDC Member of Parliament for Adenta Constituency, Hon. Kojo Adu Asare,
has expressed his disappointment at remarks made by former President
John Agyekum Kufuor on the on-going Kennedy Agyapong saga.
The
former president spoke for the first time on the treason charges brought
against the the Assin North MP calling on government to douse the
rising tension in the country.
Mr Kufuor, who is attending a
meeting in Washington DC, USA in a press release issued on Thursday,
April 18, noted that the treason charge leveled against the NPP
legislator is like “using a sledge hammer to kill a fly”.
“Treason
is the highest criminal offense of the land and must be used lightly.
It is like using a sledge hammer to kill a fly and pouring oil unto
fire,” he said.
He therefore urged President Mills to ensure that
the security services and the judiciary do not leave any impressions of
partisanship in the discharge of their duties in the Kennedy Agyapong
issue.
The Assin North MP was on Thursday, April 19th, granted
bail by two different High Courts after he was arrested on Monday, April
16, by the Police Criminal Investigations Department for “declaring
war” and inciting Ashantis against Ewes and Gas.
A Human Rights
Court earlier in the day granted him bail in the sum of GH¢200,000 with
two sureties on health grounds following a habeas corpus writ filed by
his lawyers after he had been charged on three counts of treason,
treason felony and attempted genocide.
Justice Essel Mensah said
he granted the bail because he used his discretion of court rules and
the provision of a medical report on the health condition of the MP, who
is said to be diabetic.
But the state later amended the treason
related charges after the defense team secured the first bail to
engaging in acts of terrorism at an Accra High Court.
The court
presided over by Mr Justice Charles Quist also granted him bail in the
sum of GH¢200,000 with a surety after upholding the defence team’s
argument that the facts upon which the MP was being held did not support
the charges levelled against him, and also that the Assin North MP had
not attacked any arm of government. |
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But speaking as a panelist on Metro TV’s ‘Good Morning Ghana’
show a couple of hours before the lawmaker's bail request was granted,
Hon. Adu-Asare said he felt Mr Kufuor, being an elder statesman, would
have joined in the open condemnation of the Assin North MP's statement,
just like the rest of civil society did.
“…he (former President
Kufuor) goofed. Speaking for the first time on the issue, I was thinking
that ex-president Kufuor would have condemned the act as other
well-meaning people in this country have done. First and foremost as a
statesman, I think it’s a mark of insensitivity to the situation or he
has been ill-briefed, for that matter he is toeing a total partisan line
which I thought was uncharacteristic of him...,” Hon. Adu-Asare said.
The
Adenta MP also questioned why till date the presidential candidate of
the NPP, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo has not spoken on the highly
incendiary and ethnic divisive statements made the Assin North MP,
adding that this is the time for him (Nana Addo) to show that he is
ready to lead the country.
“…where is he? Nobody has heard him
(speak) since this incident happened. Is he happy with what is happening
or is he not happy with what is happening? He should speak around this
time because Ghanaians are watching him. This is where leadership should
be called into action…,” he added.
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