Sanitise your populist approach to arrests – Ahiagbah to OSP

SourceCiti News

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The National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has heavily criticized the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, for arresting the Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Kofi Ofosu Nkansah.

Mr. Nkansah was arrested on January 10, 2024, by the Special Prosecutor for allegedly campaigning with NEIP money ahead of the NPP parliamentary primaries.

Mr. Nkansah was taken into custody and subsequently transported to his office in Accra to assist in ongoing investigations. He was later released.

Reacting to the development on January 11, 2024, Mr. Ahiagbah lashed out at the OSP, describing his arresting approach as ‘populist’.

He stated that the days of such arrests are a thing of the past, advising the OSP to sanitize its approach when effecting arrests on persons suspected to be engaged in corruption and corruption-related activities.

“I think that the Special Prosecutor is working; we want him to work. I support him to work, but he needs to sanitize his approach a little bit. The days when these kinds of siege attacks and the rest of them happened are in the past. It’s a democracy; invite the gentleman; he will come. Whatever the concerns are, I think you can have a civil, democratic conversation about how to deal with it. But these kinds of populist invitations and attacks, I think, are a thing of the past” he said in an interview on Citi FM.

The National Communications Director of the NPP pointed out that, the work of the OSP and other institutions tends to drag the country’s name in the mud if not handled properly.

“We will encourage all the institutions to work. But they must understand that they need to sanitize their approach so they don’t create a public spectacle. The appearance of something that has happened, which perhaps may not be of that magnitude. The process of the invitation will generate for the public creates a very negative public perception of the individuals and the process.”

He expressed satisfaction that the issue has been resolved among the parties involved.

“My understanding is that the issue has been dealt with. Is all for the best of democracy. I’m happy he’s gone home, if any further investigations should be done but, the OSP should sanitize the way it does its work,” he said.

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