UPDATE: WhatsUp News Editor arrested again by National Security operatives

UPDATE: GhanaWeb understands that David Tamakloe has been granted bail. He has been charged with publication of fake news. The said fake news, however, is still not known after two days of investigation. Mr. Tamakloe is supposed to report to the police headquarters on Tuesday, April 6 at 10 am.

Chief Editor of digital news platform WhatsUp News, David Tamakloe has been arrested for the second time by unidentified personnel purported to be National Security operatives.

According to GhanaWeb sources, David Tamakloe is being accused of "publishing false news" over a story the police could not yet indicate.

Reacting to the news, Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, bemoaned the arrest and urged the Inspector General of Police to direct the release of Mr. Tamakloe on bail.

In a statement issued, the South Dayi MP alleged that David Tamakloe was picked up at gunpoint and in a rather Rambo-styled approach.

“The Rambo-styled approach of effecting arrest of citizens has been a subject for concern to many. It comes as a surprise that nothing seems to be changing in this regard. Mr. Tamakloe was reported to have been picked up at gun point sometime yesterday [April 1, 2021].”

“And particularly, on the eve of Good Friday knowing very well that he would be kept in police custody until after Monday, is most inhumane, unacceptable, backward and smacks of abuse of police powers.”

“A colleague lawyer, who followed up on the matter at the Police station has recounted how the officers were unable to provide any reasons for his arrest. Just none and yet he has been denied police inquiry deliberately," the MP stressed.

Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, therefore, urged for the release of Mr. Tamakloe from police custody so he can be properly arraigned before court and for steps to be taken to defend himself in the matter.

The development comes barely months after an earlier arrest of David Tamakloe over claims of a false publication suggesting that minority groups in the New Edubiase including Ewes and northerners were targeted and marginalized during the voters registration exercise in 2020.