Bediatuo: Alleged phone tapping of Rawlingses worrying

NANA Asante Bediatuo, a renowned constitutional lawyer, has described as very worrying allegations that the National Security outfit has tapped into the phones of the Rawlingses and some of their allies.

In the view of Nana Bediatuo, what makes the issue more worrying is that if the Rawlingses could fall victim to this illegal practice, “then what it means is that the National Security will be tapping the phones of many Ghanaians, including the judges who are seen by the NDC as unsympathetic to their cause, and members of the opposition, with no just cause.”

In a chat with the New Statesman yesterday, he noted: “It is highly illegal and a height of human rights violation for the security agencies to attempt to do that. What makes the matter more worrying is that if the national security is tapping into the phones of the Rawlingses, then people will not be wrong to entertain the fear that they are doing same to the nation's judges and leading members of the opposition.”

The Campaign Coordinator for Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, Michael Teye Nyaunu, has alleged that the former first couple's mobile phones as well as those of their allies and campaign team members have been tapped into by the National Security outfit.

The Member of Parliament for Upper Manya Krobo claims officers of the National Security have been eaves-dropping on Mr and Mrs Rawlings's phone conversations to monitor their campaign strategy.

According to Mr Teye Nyaunu, the eaves-dropping started a long time ago but became intensified after Mrs Rawlings had declared her intention to contest President Mills for the flagbearer slot of the ruling NDC.

Nana Bediatuo insists the NDC flagbearership contest does not offer any basis for the phones of the former first couple to be tapped into by the National Security because the former couple has not done anything illegal to warrant such treatment.

“It is illegal and unconstitutional for the National Security to tape into the phone of people, even if they suspect they are doing something bad, without a Court warrant. And the Court will only grant that when it has sufficient grounds to believe that the activities of the people involved constitute a threat to national security, or they are engaged in some criminal activities,” he explained.

A story in the Tuesday May 24 edition of the Daily Guide newspaper claimed the paper had received information about the alleged tapping of the Rawlingses' phones by the National Security from sources it preferred not to name for now.

Confirming that the team had suspected such a tap for sometime, Mr Nyaunu, however, told Citi News the Rawlingses and the campaign team were not perturbed by the action of the National Security.

“Of course they are really tapping our phones, but I am not surprised because this has been the stock in trade for the security agencies for some time. I am aware they had the phone tapping machine and I knew what they were doing with it. What is important is that you say what you want to say on the telephone and you say what you don't want to say outside the telephone”.

Asked whether he had evidence that the telephone lines of the former first lady had been tapped by the security agencies, he answered in the affirmative.

“Definitely it has been tapped. If they have tapped mine, then what about the candidate herself and that of the former President. The security agencies get into this and the ultimate aim is to get the information to the government,” he insisted.