Deputy Presidential Spokesperson defends National Security raids on former officials

The Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, Shamima Muslim, has defended the recent National Security raids on the homes of former officials of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, including the recent operation at the residence of former Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr Ernest Addison.

Speaking on TV3’s New Day on Thursday, March 20, 2025, Muslim stated that the actions were part of an ongoing investigation and information-gathering process.

Her remarks come amid reports that National Security operatives raided Dr Addison’s home on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. This follows a similar incident on February 11, 2025, when the home of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta was also searched.

While Muslim admitted that she had yet to receive a full briefing on the specifics of the raid on Dr Addison’s residence, she justified the operation, stating that those involved are persons of interest in ongoing investigations.

“I’m yet to get to the office to receive a full briefing on the matter, but what I can say is that there are some actions going on, there are some investigations ongoing, and there are persons of interest who will be now and again invited to help the investigation process,” she said.

She further explained that visiting the homes of these individuals was a necessary step in gathering intelligence.

“There are means of gathering information, and one of the means is to visit the homes of these persons of interest,” she added.

Call for Due Process Amid Minority Criticism
Despite defending the raids, Muslim stressed that all actions should be carried out in line with the law.

“I will just say that we should execute these processes with due recourse to due process, and once we are doing that, we should have no problem,” she stated.

Her comments come as Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin and other NPP executives strongly condemned the raid on Dr Addison’s home and the arrest of Okatakyie, calling it an attack on democracy and human rights.

In response, Muslim dismissed the NPP’s criticism, arguing that the Minority’s reaction was an attempt to avoid accountability and discredit the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

She contended that the NDC government remains more committed to ensuring accountability than the previous NPP government, recalling the treatment of NDC officials in 2017 when former President Akufo-Addo took office.

“However, we should also be mindful of how the minority would always deliberately position themselves to be averse to any action that government takes in its quest to demand audit and accountability of the outgone government… sometimes exaggerating the issue and trying to deliberately misrepresent the action that is being taken.”

She further described the NPP’s response as "misplaced propaganda and mischief", claiming that their agenda was to undermine the government.

“Misplaced propaganda and mischief which is obvious because their intention is to entrench themselves within the system so they can leverage to sabotage. It is their grand agenda,” she asserted.