Blay: BNI now NDC’s 'political police'

State security body Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) has now become the governing National Democratic Congress’ “political police,” acting chairman of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Freddie Blay has said.

“What is happening is unfair, what is happening is not good for democracy, what the NDC is doing, what the BNI, at the prompting of NDC, is doing is that the BNI has turned itself into a political police, supporting only one side and bringing bogus charges against the security head of our political candidate,” Mr Blay told Class News’ Kwesi Parker-Wilson in an interview Thursday, March 24.

Mr Blay’s accusations follow the arrest and detention, by the BNI, of three South African ex-police officers: Major Ahmed Shaik Hazis (rtd), 54; Warrant Officer Denver Dwayhe, 33; and Captain Mlungiseli Jokani, 45; for giving unlawful training to some 15 men meant to be bodyguards for NPP flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo.

The three have been charged with unlawful training and false declaration. They were arraigned before court on Thursday. They pleaded not guilty. The BNI is still holding them in detention despite an order by the court for them to be taken to the court’s registry pending bail – a situation which has angered their lawyer, Samuel Atta Akyea.

The NDC’s deputy general secretary Koku Anyidoho has described the three ex-cops as “mercenaries” whom the NPP flagbearer intends using to foment trouble in the upcoming November polls – a charge rebuffed by the leaders of the NPP, who say the former police officers were just training the 15 men about how to control crowds.