Leaked Audio: Ofosu-Ampofo may face up to 20 years in jail if guilty - Counsel

Lawyer Victor Kwadwogah Adawudu, one of the Counsels for National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu AMpofo, has explained that his client faces up to 20 years in jail if found guilty of the charges preferred against him.

He, however, believes that his client will be exonerated in the end since the charges are trumped up.

"After listening to the tape myself, I came to the realization that it does not represent the voice and the intention of my client, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo," he told Kwame Nkrumah Tikesie in an interview on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme.

An Accra High Court hearing the case of Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Tuesday morning adjourned it to May 6, 2019.

Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo appeared in Court today over a leaked tape involving him in the company of his lawyers: Abraham Amaliba, Tony Lithur, Dominic Ayine and Edudzi Tamakloe, as well as some kingpins of the NDC including former President and Presidential Candidate of the NDC, John Mahama.

The Chairman has been charged with conspiracy to cause harm and assault against a Public Officer. He is being charged alongside a Deputy National Communication officer of the party, Kwaku Boahen.

The two were previously charged by the Police for conspiracy to commit crime to wit, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit crime to wit, threat of harm.

Background

A leaked audio purported to be the voice of Mr Ofosu-Ampofo in a meeting with NDC communicators had him saying: “We’re going to take her [Chairperson of the Electoral Commission] to the cleaners.”

“As for the EC Chair, we must wage a relentless war on this EC Chair. Me, she doesn’t want to see my face,” Mr Ofosu-Ampofo is alleged to have said.

In the audio, he also gave his blessing to the party communicators to insult the Most Rev. Professor Emmanuel Asante, the Chairman of the National Peace Council.

“For the first time, I’ll endorse insulting the National Peace Council Chair,” he said.

The alleged meeting between Mr Ofosu-Ampofo and NDC communicators was aimed at planning strategies ahead of the 2020 general election.

When the issue of the leaked tape went viral, the NDC described it as concocted and false.