Raymond Archer’s hounds were in action a couple of days ago, leaving behind tales of worries and political conversations.
The location was Chairman Wontumi’s residence at Tema, the orders being to ransack the place. And the kids saw it, the trauma they suffered and continue to do only imaginable.
While some thought the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) operation, of course at the instance of Raymond Archer, the Acting Executive Director, was a diversionary tactic to swing attention away from the scathing diplomatic passports for sale scandal, others saw it as a means of adding to the psychological woes of the jailed businessman/politician.
Those who back the latter speculation use the 2024 interview Raymond did with Radio Gold to anchor their position. In that interview, Raymond served notice that when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) comes to power, they would torture their opponents.
Be it as it may, the EOCO reportedly descended upon the residence of Chairman Wontumi, action which they explained was to enable them to evaluate the property.
The former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman has a case with EXIM Bank, an earlier plea bargaining option failing to yield an agreeable option.
The EOCO action under review was not with a court backing, unless the Office can prove otherwise.
It would not be erroneous to conclude that the action is a resumption of typical Raymond vengeance missions since President Mahama has not stopped him yet.
Our concern at this stage of the four-year mandate of this government is whether the manifesto entries of the party have been fulfilled.
They have not and we dare state that this is what should be bothering the government and not the Rambo-style operations of scaling walls and ransacking residences of political opponents targeted for harassment.
The explanation by EOCO of the Office’s new style is that the operation was brief. Information available to us indicates that it lasted 11 minutes, although EOCO showed only two minutes of the operations.
We are curious to watch the other segments of the 11-minute video because these contain the human rights breaches.
Innocent kids of politicians and family members should not be subjected to such harrowing experiences in a country which claims to be hinged upon the rule of law, with respect for human rights constituting a cornerstone.
In any case, why was the counsel of Chairman Wontumi not informed about the operation so he could witness it?
The accompanying explanation does no good to the battered image of EOCO under Raymond Archer and, by extension, the government.
One of the sources of the bad press this government is battling with has to do with the actualisation of the 2024 ‘we shall deal with you’ notice Raymond Archer served the opponents of the NDC. That is the meaning of revenge but it is difficult, if not outright impossible, to point out what EOCO under Lawyer Amoah did to warrant a so-called revenge being meted upon NPP members. Under a reset agenda, political logic has no place.