One of the seized cars
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has concluded its investigation into five vehicles seized from the house of Kofi Adams, National Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The seized vehicles are two Toyota Land Cruiser V8s with registration numbers GS 7451-12 and GN 7796-16, and three Nissan Hard Body pickups with registration numbers GM 842-16, GM 823-16 and GM 846-16.
The vehicles were seized from his Golf City area home in Tema on February 1, 2017.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the CID, ASP Joseph Benefo Darkwa, told Citi Fm in Accra yesterday that after investigation it was established that all the five vehicles were acquired appropriately by Mr. Adams and had not been stolen or criminally tampered with as speculated.
It was also established that the vehicles were not state-owned ones.
The NDC national organizer, according to reports, provided legal documentations regarding the ownership of the five vehicles to the police during the investigation.
Meanwhile, after the investigation, the police also indicated that Mr Adams paid the necessary duties on all the vehicles.
Counsel for Kofi Adams, Samson Lardy Ayenini, speaking on Asempa FM, bemoaned how the said National Security operatives, who went for the vehicles, did not follow due process but rather invaded the privacy of his client.
It would be recalled that on Wednesday, February 1, 2017, five men suspected to be personnel of the National Security operatives, stormed the residence of Kofi Adams to seize the five vehicles on suspicion that they belonged to the state.
Legal Issues
Mr Anyenini earlier challenged the state to arrest and prosecute his client if they think he stole the vehicles from the state.
He described the police’s continuous detention of Kofi Adams vehicles, which are said to have been stolen from the state as the most lawless act by the state.
“It ought to be made clear that our client is not a criminal in any criminal process, we are unaware of any judicial or quasi-judicial process that is ongoing for which the said vehicles,” he said,
In the petition dated February 8 to David Asante Apeatu, Mr. Anyenini said, “Sir, the said vehicles (5) which are a matter of public knowledge were wrongfully and unlawfully removed from our client’s Golf City residence in Tema on Wednesday, February 1, 2017, in a style and fashion reminiscent of excesses of the country’s dark past of unconstitutional rule.
“The group of men who engaged in the said unconstitutional conduct, criminal trespass, and violation in the face of our client’s guaranteed rights to privacy and property, have since been identified and understood to have acted on the unlawful instructions of state actors,” the petition said.
Mr. Anyenini said “the police took their time; they went to the Customs, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and all their checks have vindicated him.
The Seizure
Narrating how the alleged seizure occurred, Mr. Adams recounted that before he travelled to the UAE, six people claiming to be National Security personnel came to his house that Saturday in an attempt to seize the vehicles in his absence.
He said he managed to stop them, but they subsequently succeeded in removing the vehicles from his residence.
Mr. Adams said he received a call whilst in the UAE that Wednesday indicating that the same six men with others had returned to seize his five vehicles.
Apology
DAILY GUIDE by this publication, retracts wholly a story published in its Friday, February 3, 2017 edition headlined, “Kofi Adams Cars ‘Stolen,’”
After further checks by the paper, it has been established that the remarks and allegations made in the said report were false.
As demanded by lawyers for Mr. Adams, DAILY GUIDE wholly retracts the said story.
We hereby apologise to Mr. Adams and our valued readers for the report.
By Linda Tenyah Ayettey
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)