Sammy Gyamfi out of police custody

The National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, was yesterday granted police enquiry bail four hours after his arrest by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.

He was not charged but cautioned on the offences of possession of forged documents and publication of false news with the intent to cause fear and alarm, contrary to sections 166 and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29), respectively.

He was, however, granted bail with two sureties and he is to report himself at the CID Headquarters once every week to assist in investigations.

Phones seized

His phones were seized by the police after interrogation, while his statement was taken and two leading members of the party, Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and Mr Ras Mubarak served as sureties.

The Chairman of the NDC, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, together with the legal team of the party including Mr Tony Lithur, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah Opong, Mr Dominic Ayini, Mrs Joyce Bawa Mogtari and Mr Abraham Amaliba, as well as some NDC stalwarts, was at the CID Headquarters to work on his release.

Arrest at UTV

The NDC Communication Officer was picked up on the premises of Despite Media Group of Companies by some plain-clothes security officers from the CID minutes after he had participated in a live studio discussion "Adekye Nsroma", a morning show on UTV, and was whisked away in a white unmarked pick-up vehicle, with registration number VR 4870 - 12.

After the end of the programme, Mr Gyamfi, a lawyer by profession, was making his way to board his vehicle when the CID officers suddenly surfaced, produced a warrant and, in a flash, picked him away.

The police, in December last year, invited Mr Gyamfi to respond to allegations of cybercrime levelled against him by an unnamed person at the Jubilee House.

He, however, declined the invitation by the CID and later, through his lawyers, sued to stop the police from examining his phone records and gaining access to his Facebook account.

The suit, filed at the Accra High Court, among other things, sought an injunction on an earlier court warrant by the Kaneshie District Court for the seizure of his electronic gadgets.

Mr Gyamfi argued that the police failed to establish any legal basis to have access to his phone records when they (police) failed to show any probable cause that he had or was about to commit the alleged crime to justify the revocation of his right to privacy and protection.

Supporters

Following his arrest, hundreds of supporters of the NDC thronged the CID Headquarters, demanding his immediate release, but they were barred from entering the premises.

The National Chairman, addressing the party supporters later, said the party would remain focused and would not be deterred by intimidation from any quarters.

He described the arrest as a diversionary tactic which they would not fall for and added that the government had resorted to that to distract Ghanaians from the debate of whether to create a new voters register or not.

For his part, Sammy Gyamfi told supporters of the party that he was not a criminal and that no amount of intimidation or harassment would silence him.

The Deputy General Secretary, Peter Otokunor, who was also upset about the development, fumed about the arrest of his party member and questioned the rationale for Sammy Gyamfi's arrest and detention since the case was already in court.

Background

It would be recalled that in December last year, the Police CID extended an invitation to Mr Gyamfi after a report was made against him by the Jubilee House on allegations of forgery and false publication.

Later, the NDC chief communicator filed a lawsuit at the Accra High Court, demanding an injunction on an earlier court warrant by the Kaneshie District Court for the seizure of his electronic gadgets.

In a letter from his lawyers to the CID on December 23, 2019, Mr Gyamfi refused to honour the CID invitation, saying it could prejudice the court case.

“Inasmuch as we wish to honour your invitation due to the respect we have for your institution, our client instructs us that we cannot honour your invitation due to change in circumstances which are that our client has filed an Application for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights at the High Court in relation to the matter being handled by your office and an application for interlocutory injunction which have both been served on you.” the letter said.