BNI Runs Away From Questioning JJ?

National Security Advisor, Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah (Rtd.) has pooh-poohed reports that the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) lacks the temerity to haul former President Jerry John Rawlings before them as the security outfit usually does to answer questions bordering on the alleged controversial GH?90 million security tape, and has rather asked the media to fully pursue the issue to its logical conclusion by calling on Mr. Rawlings to prove the veracity or otherwise of the claims.

Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah said since the whole country wanted to know the truth, it was also the responsibility of the media to question former President Rawlings to find out the truth.

The BNI has for some time now, been dragging members of the public including private individuals, businessmen and ex-government appointees before them under the guise of an “invite”, but most often deny them the presence of their lawyers during questioning.

The case of 29year old Celestine Tsekuma (who allegedly collapsed and eventually died at the BNI offices) Sammy Crabbe, a former Greater Accra Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party and Dr. Akwasi Osei, former Minister of Foreign Affairs in the erstwhile Kufuor administration are but a few examples.

But in the case of Mr. Rawlings and the controversial security tape, the National Security Advisor believes it’s the turn of the media to do the probing.

It would be recalled that a close ally to the Rawlingses, Herbert Mensah had claimed to have access to security tapes in which unnamed persons were discussing a GH?90 million budget for President John Mills' flagbearership campaign for the governing NDC's July 8 congress. The said campaign money will be used to unduly influence delegates in President Mills’ attempt to win the flagbearership of the NDC at its presidential congress.

His comments sparked a huge controversy with President Mills rubbishing the allegations and calling on the National Security to investigate the allegation. Consequently, Mr. Mensah was invited by the BNI for questioning, but he revealed that the tape was with former President Rawlings.

Speaking in an interview during PeaceFM News@6pm, Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah said any concerned person including the media can use its interviewing skills to extract information from ex-President Jerry John Rawlings regarding the tape which is alleged to be in his possession.

“Everybody wants to know the truth in the 90million tape allegation and Herbert Mensah said the tape is with Rawlings but it is not necessary for BNI to invite Rawlings to ask him anything…so it is a simple matter, you (the media) can also call him and ask him if it is true there is a tape in his possession. This is not a big deal or an issue for the BNI to invite him, the media can also do a good job by calling him and BNI is also doing its best,” he said.

To him, Mr. Herbert Mensah's claims are of great public interest which needs exhaustive investigations and gave the assurance that his outfit will definitely get to the bottom of the matter.