Abronye DC
The Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, aka Abronye DC, has filed a counter criminal complaint against former President John Mahama, who triggered criminal investigation against Abronye.
Abronye was reportedly grilled by the police CID in Accra last Friday following criminal complaints of publication of false news emanating from Section 208 of Act 29, filed against the NPP man by Mr. Mahama.
Initial Action
Mr. Mahama had caused his lawyers to write to the police CID to interrogate Abronye for saying that he (Mahama) and some NDC hirelings are planning to assassinate some NPP bigwigs, including Abronye himself.
In the complaints filed by his attorney, Lithur Brew and Company, the former President also accused Abronye of saying on television that he (Mahama) killed Prof. Mills, whose unfortunate passing occurred on July 24, 2012.
Strangely, Mr. Mahama has asked the police to investigate Abronye over the assassination of the NPP bigwigs bit but has told the same police that they should disregard the allegation that he killed Prof. Mills because, according to him, it is coming from an unhinged (Abronye) mind.
Counter Attack
DAILY GUIDE learnt that when Abronye was invited by the police, he honoured the invitation and after explaining himself, he has since pressed charges against the former President for some statements the ex-leader, who wants to come back to rule Ghana, has allegedly made.
He is saying that the police should arrest, investigate and prosecute the former President under the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) for some statements he publicly made.
Ayawaso Militants
Abronye mentioned that after the Ayawaso West Wagon by-election, Mr. Mahama, at a meeting with diplomats, showed a video depicting a group of men in all black attire purported to be personnel of a private security firm chanting morale songs which was captured at the funeral of the late NPP MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Kyeremanteng Agyarko, and narrated to the diplomats that those persons were personnel of the Ghana Police Service and the incumbent government’s party militia.
“In the same video, the former President told the diplomats that the same so-called police officers were brought to provide security for the NPP’s parliamentary candidate, Lydia Alhassan, who was the spouse of the late Agyarko,” adding that “however, after a series of investigations it was revealed that all those videos published by Mr. John Mahama to the public were false. This false video broadcast by John Mahama inherently has the tendency of disrupting public peace and security.”
He insisted that “the conduct of John Dramani Mahama is clearly in breach of section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29).”
EC Boss’ Threats
According to Abronye, on the February 12, 2020 Mr. Mahama, while speaking to some Western Regional fisherfolk who paid a courtesy call on him at his Cantonments office, said EC Chairperson Jean Mensa and her outfit would be held responsible if the country was plunged into turmoil after the 2020 general election.
Abronye quoted Mr. Mahama as saying, “Before you (Jean Mensa) became Electoral Commission (Chairperson) this country was peaceful. So don’t do anything that will bring chaos,” and insisted that “these words by John Mahama are clear statements of intimidation.”
“John Mahama’s words suggest attempts to intimidate Jean Mensa who is not an ordinary public officer but an Electoral Commissioner. These words and actions by John Mahama are/were in clear breaches of section 256 and 257 respectively of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) and thus must be investigated and prosecuted if found culpable,” he pushed.
Volta Sermon
According to Abronye, the ex-President again breached Section 207 of the Criminal offences Act (Act 29) whilst addressing NDC supporters in the Volta Region on February 2019.
He quoted the former President as saying, “We are not going to joke in 2020 and I am sounding a warning to the NPP, we are going to match them boot-for-boot. I want to sound a caution that NDC has a revolutionary root, and when it comes to unleashing violence no one can beat us to that.”
“This statement by Mr. John Mahama is clearly one that can disrupt the peace of this country because he was inciting his followers to be radical and cause chaos, which is in clear breach of Section 207 of the Criminal offences Act (Act 29),” he insisted.
“… I am humbly requesting the CID to expedite investigations and possible prosecutions into the various matters raised above,” he said.
Defending Himself
Abronye reiterated that he had not breached any statute as complained by Mr. Mahama and said rather that the former President was the one who had been breaching the laws of the country with impunity.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I have a barrel full of better and further particulars (evidence) comprising audio recordings, phone calls recordings and WhatsApp messages to substantiate seriatim all my claims and allegations concerning my statements about an alleged plot of assassination against me,” he said.
“It has been held in the case of Tetteh verses The Republic I965 GLR 670 that an accused has no duty to assist the police in investigations. However, in order for the police to expedite action in the complaint filed by Mr. John Dramani Mahama against me, I am willing to assist the police with investigations.”
By Ernest Kofi Adu