Richard Jakpa should be the first person to want to ensure that another person gets justice, a private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has said while faulting the approach adopted by the national security operatives to search the home of former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison.
Kpebu said inasmuch as he will want Dr Addison to answer questions about his actions and inactions when in office, it does not mean that the right procedure should be sidestepped in holding him to account.
He argued that per the law, the national security officers should have been fair and reasonable by giving Dr Addison a copy of the search warrant they procured before the search was done but that was not done.
Speaking on the Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, March 22, he said “The constitution says in Article 23 that administrative bodies must be fair and reasonable in the way they discharge their duties, so if you are coming into somebody’s house you should, at least, beforehand, lay out all the rules about how you carry out your work. Don’t forget National security is still an administrative body.
“In times past we thought National Security is beyond Ghana Police, no, that is not true. Once you are going to function, you have to function within the Constitution. So if you go to somebody’s house with a search warrant but you don’t give him a copy, then straight away you are not being fair and reasonable. Give him a copy of what you have. You don’t see that Governor Addison is given a copy of the search warrant, that is wrong.”
He added “Tomorrow it could be you or myself or Prof Gyampo if we don’t speak up so anything we do we look at stuff that will promote the progress of Ghana.
“So far it is been reported that Jakpa led the team, if it is true that Jakpa led the search, then Jakpa knowing that some few months ago we were here defending him when he was standing before the court, he should also be magnanimous in victory. We sat here at this table baying at the judges that Jakpa must have justice so Jakpa should know that once Ghanaians fought for him when he was in trouble, when he is going to lead a team to execute, he should be a good example of someone who wants to give another person justice.”
Kpebu earlier said on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 that “I want to see him face justice, but that does not mean I will support illegal actions against him.”
Regarding the search warrant that Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem Sai said they obtained to enable them to read the home of Dr Addison, Kpebu said “As of now, we do not know the specific authorisations contained within the warrant.”
He added “You must tell the court exactly what you are searching for. Any action beyond that could undermine the legality of the entire operation.”
Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Justice Srem Sai had justified the raid after stating it was done in accordance with the law.
Srem Sai stated that warrants were procured and used for the raid.
“We take responsibility for the search that happened. We want to make it clear that those searches and the mode in which they were done were in accordance with the law. Warrants were procured and used,” he told journalists in Accra on Thursday, March 20.
Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, also said although he supports Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL), it does not mean that those in charge of ORAL should be brute.
He says they must not act like over-drugged bandits in searching for information.
Reacting to the raid on the home of former Governor of of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison, by National Security Operatives, he said in a Facebook post “I support ORAL. Supporting ORAL doesn’t mean we should be brute and act like overdrugged bandits in ‘searching’ for information.”
In a separate post, he stated that search warrants are used for lawful searches, not to vandalise property, or steal food, money and jewellery.
This is what happens in a civilised country, he said.
He was reacting to the allegation that Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin made that some money could not be found after Richard Jakpa led national security operatives stormed the home of former Governor of Bank of Ghana Dr Ernest Addison in Roman Ridge, Accra, on Wednesday, March 19.
The operatives reportedly disabled the CCTV system before conducting their search.
“Some GHC10,000 on his bed could not be found. So some of these hungry party foot soldiers they use who parade themselves as National Security Operatives are after all perhaps not being paid, and they use this opportunity to steal,” Afenyo-Markin claimed.
In a Facebook post, Franklin Cudjoe said “It is embarassing for the Majority Leader of the ruling govt to be rendering apologies on behalf of state-sponsored thugs who raid the home of citizens. In a civilised country, warrants secured are for lawful searches, not to vandalise property, steal food, money and jewelry.”
READ ALSO: Empty money storage boxes found in Ex-BoG Governor Addison’s home – National Security
According to National Security officials, they had obtained a search warrant before entering Dr. Addison’s Roman Ridge home. They claim the operation was based on intelligence suggesting that the former governor was in possession of funds belonging to the central bank.
However, they firmly denied allegations that operatives stole cash or jewelry from the household.
“We did not take any money or jewelry from Dr. Addison’s home. We will, in due course, make public a full list of items retrieved during the search
The post Raid on Addison’s home: Kpebu sends word of caution to Richard Jakpa first appeared on 3News.
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