Former President John Dramani Mahama is expected to storm an Accra High Court today to ‘solidarize’ with the immediate-past Board Chairman of the National Communication Authority (NCA) and four others before the court for alleged fraud and causing financial loss to the state.
The former president has over the past days used several platforms to call for support for his appointees who may be dragged to court for their alleged involvement in corruption.
Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, the former NCA Board Chairman; William Mathew Tetteh Tevie, former Director General of the NCA; Alhaji Salifu Mimina Osman, a former deputy National Security Coordinator, as well as George Derek Oppong, a private businessman and Director of Infraloks Development Limited, have been accused of conspiring to and causing financial loss to the state.
Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie, Alhaji Osman and Mr. Oppong have already appeared before the court, presided over by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, for their alleged involvement in a shady deal and have been granted bail in the sum of $1 million each with three sureties.
They are being charged for allegedly creating, looting and sharing a staggering $4 million among themselves under the guise of procuring a Cyber Surveillance System which they claimed was to be used for anti-terrorism activities in the country.
The case reopens today and the pleas of Mr. Tevie and Dr Nana Owusu Ensaw, a former board member, are expected to be taken by the court.
Given that the suspects are former appointees of former President Mahama, he is expected to concretize his call on members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to stand by alleged corrupt ex-officials, by appearing in court to support the five accused persons.
Speaking at the 36th anniversary celebration of the 31st December, 1981 ‘revolution’ in Ho, the Volta Region, Mr. Mahama said, “Recently, President Akufo-Addo was threatening members of our administration with prosecution when he visited the Eastern Region; and I said yes, we are prepared to accept the probity of our tenure in office.
“Having been the disciples of probity and accountability, we must not run away from probity and accountability; we must be prepared to face any prosecution that this government throws to us, but we must do this with commitment and solidarity,” he underscored.
Mr. Mahama commented:“They will have their day in court and until they have that day in court, it is our duty to solidarize with them to make sure they have the best legal representation to be able to put their case in order; and it is my wish that things will turn out well for them.”
Anyidoho Disagrees
However, Deputy General Secretary of the opposition party, Koku Anyidoho, in reaction to Mr. Mahama’s call for solidarity, warned the supporters of the party not to storm the courtrooms to support any officials of the Mahama administration who might be facing prosecution for alleged corruption.
According to him, the relatives and friends of those officials could do that but not the entire party and its supporters.
According to him, such persons have families, friends and loved ones who are free to follow them to court, but the entire party executives should not be expected to do so.
In what appears to be a sharp u-turn, Mr Anyidoho has stated that the party was ready to solidarize with its members, if the NPP government starts witch-hunting them.
