Police can 'invite' even the President to assist in its investigations – Nana Obiri Boahene

The Deputy General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahene has admonished the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) not to attempt roping the NPP in matters involving the operations of the Ghana Police Service.

The NPP activist took strong exception to allegations of government influencing the police in its duties, especially the security agency's right to invite certain persons it believes can assist in investigations.

He was commenting on the latest saga involving the police service and National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo in an interview on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Programme.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service on Wednesday invited the Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, to assist in investigations into some recent kidnappings and fire outbreaks.

A letter signed by the Director General of the CID, COP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, said Mr. Ofosu Ampofo had been mentioned by some suspects as being “part of a grand scheme designed to cause fear and panic in the country.”

However, his lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe claimed Madm Tiwaa Addo-Danquah is in bed with the NPP thereby doing everything possible to get the attention of the president for the position of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) which will soon be declared vacant.

But Lawyer Obiri Boahene, reacting to the issue, believed Counsels for the NDC National Chairman are not "helping matters" by their posturings.

“NDC and their lawyers are not helping matters because Lawyer Tamakloe as a known lawyer is aware that the police has every right to invite anybody even the president, the vice president to assist in investigations....I take a very strong exception to this matter; police administration is a body setup under the laws of Ghana that has its own rules and regulations governing their work to the extent that if they decide on as a case with a reasonably suspect you can be invited to assist in investigation,” he said.

He, therefore, advised the opposition party and their assigns not to consider themselves as above the law and cease putting up as if the world is coming to an end because of the police invitation to Ofosu Ampofo.

"....the police has enough powers to invite whoever they want to assist in their investigation…What is wrong about that if the police invite somebody to assist in investigation…they have every right to do that… they are capable of doing that so what is wrong if the police invite Mr. Ampofo to help investigate into a matter?…must this world come to an end?…is that proper?…,” he rhetorically quizzed.