Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo
The trial of the National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, and a communication officer of the party, Kwaku Boahen, has been adjourned to February 2, 2021 for continuation.
The adjournment was due to the absence of Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo’s lawyer, Tony Lithur, who the court heard was bereaved.
Appearing before the court yesterday, Emefa Hardcastle, who held his brief, stated that Mr. Lithur had asked her to plead with the court for a two-week adjournment.
She said she had communicated with the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakor-Obuobisa, about the development, and they had agreed on a new date for the trial.
The court presided over Justice Samuel Asiedu, a court of appeal judge sitting with additional responsibilities as a high court judge, granted the prayer and adjourned the matter to January 2, 2021.
Trial
Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo and one of the party’s leading communicators, Anthony Kwaku Boahen, are on trial over the tape which captures how the opposition NDC is allegedly planning to commit crimes in the country and turn round to blame them on the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Among the strategies were the creation of a general state of insecurity in the country through kidnappings, arson and verbal attacks on public officials like the Chairman of the National Peace Council (NPC), Prof. Emmanuel Asante, and Electoral Commission’s (EC) boss, Jean Mensa.
Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo has been charged with a count of conspiracy to cause harm and two counts of assault against a public officer.
Mr. Boahen, on the other hand, is facing a count of conspiracy to cause harm.
Tape.
The controversial tape, which is the subject of the trial, was tendered in evidence by the case investigator, Detective Chief Inspector Bernard Berko, in his evidence-in-chief by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Yvonne Atakora-Obuobisa.
The over two hours tape, which was recorded at a meeting of NDC communicators somewhere last year or so, had Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo telling the party members to make life uncomfortable for the targeted persons who included the chairpersons of the EC and NPC.
The leaked tape also detailed how the party would approach campaign strategies, including what he described as ‘overt’ and ‘covert’ operations in the wake of the disturbances that characterized the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-election last year.
“I want to assure you that as long as I remain the leader of our party, my approach to elections and security has completely changed… and we need to marshal all the human and material resources,” Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo stated when he took his turn to address the party faithful as captured on the tape.
Forensic Examination
A forensic examination conducted on the leaked audio tape confirmed it to be his voice on the tape.
The examination which was carried out by the Israeli Forensic Science Institute was to compare the controversial tape to another voice recording of the NDC guru when he addressed supporters of the party at the police headquarters in Accra after he was granted police enquiry bail.
According to the report, there is 90 per cent probability that the voice of Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo on the tape addressing the party faithful is the same as the voice on the leaked tape.
The report also indicated that “there is also 85 per cent probability of coincidence of speech features and defects.”
Alibi
Chief Inspector Berko also told the court that while the matter was in court, Mr. Boahen pleaded an alibi that he was in Bomfa Achiase in the Ashanti Region on February 3, 2019 when the said meeting was held at the NDC headquarters in Accra.
He said a team was put in oftener to investigate the alibi and a report was produced after it was done.
The DPP attempted to tender the report on the alibi but Mr. Lithur said he was not given a copy and the court had to adjourn the matter so that he could served.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak