SA ex-cops saga: BNI hasn’t invited Koda – Ocquaye

The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) has not invited the head of Nana Akufo-Addo’s security detail, a deputy communication direction of the New Patriotic Party; Mike Ocquaye Jr. has said.

Captain Koda (rtd) has been linked to three South African ex-cops, who were recently arrested by the BNI, for allegedly giving illicit security training to some members of the NPP, which the BNI considered as threatening to the security of the state.

Earlier on Tuesday, March 22, the Deputy General Secretary of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Koku Anyidoho, said the BNI intended picking up Capt. Koda over the issue for questioning.

Mr Anyidoho told Ekow Mensah-Shalders on Class91.3fm’s Executive Breakfast Show that the three retired South African police officers, who, according to the Daily Graphic, were picked up at Agona Duakwa in the Central Region, were brought into the country by Ghana’s biggest opposition party.

The three, as reported by the Daily Graphic, are: Major Ahmed Shaik (retd), 54; Warrant Officer Denver Dwahye, 33, and Captain Mlungiseli Jokani, 45. They were picked up at the El-Capitano Hotel where they had been based since arriving in the country early this month.

According to the national daily, they were said to be training some young people in various security drills, including unarmed combat, weapon handling, VIP protection techniques, and rapid response manoeuvres.

The paper said although the suspects had initially indicated that they were training the young men for the owner of the hotel, Captain Kwesi Acquah (rtd), who is also the owner of Delta Force Security Company Limited, the leader of the group, Major Hazis, was reported to have told interrogators that they were brought in by an unnamed retired military officer to train young men as bodyguards and a rapid response for some politicians and political parties.

The Daily Graphic quoted highly placed security sources as having revealed that Hazis had also indicated that he was in Ghana in 2012 for similar purposes.

The sources said considering the heightened security alert, the suspects would be thoroughly interrogated.

They said a perusal of their passports also indicated that the visas issued to them were business visas.

“The visas did not entitle them to engage in any kind of contract or business as they were found to be engaged in,” one of the sources explained to the Daily Graphic.

Mr Ocquaye, however, told Class News’ 505 host Emefa Apawu on Tuesday evening that no invitation has been extended to Captain Koda by the BNI. According to him, the whole issue is a “storm in a teacup.”