Former President John Dramani Mahama has lodged a formal complaint with the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service against the Bono Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe (also known as Abronye DC) for making “scandalous allegations” against him and his party, NDC.
The flagbearer of the opposition party, by the complaint, wants the police to launch an investigation into the said allegations which he has insistently described as false.
The move by the ex-President is hinged on section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which states that “a person who publishes or reproduces a statement, rumour or report which is likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public peace knowing or having reason to believe that the statement, rumour or report is false commits a misdemeanour.”
Abronye DC, according to Mr. Mahama, recently alleged on Net2 TV that he (Mahama) and the opposition NDC have masterminded a plot to assassinate some NPP personalities including him, Abronye DC.
Mr. Mahama further stated that Abronye DC on the programme announced to the general public that some NPP personalities would be assassinated by NDC hirelings who would be wearing NPP T-shirts and that these hirelings would be doing the bidding of the former President.
Additionally, the Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP allegedly accused Mr. Mahama of assassinating the late President, John Evans Atta-Mills.
The complaint signed by his lawyer, Mr. Tony Lithur, a copy of which is in the possession of ABC News was firm that “the allegations are, of course, false; and for the avoidance of doubt, would like to state that neither the NDC nor he has planned to hire, hired or cause to be hired, or instructed any person or persons to murder or assassinate anybody.”
“Regarding the rather irreverent and despicable allegation that he killed the late President John Evans Atta-Mills, he would not dignify it with an answer, except to say that the allegation could only have come from an unhinged mind,” the document said.
The former President’s lawyer noted that the scurrilous, “false” and “inflammatory” allegations are politically motivated and have the tendency to expose his client and members of NDC to attacks from sympathisers of the governing party.
“By reason also of his profile, he has, by his false allegations, pitted the two largest political parties in the country against each other in the context of spurious allegations of violent crime. This has a real potential of disturbing the public peace.”
“My final instructions are therefore to kindly request you to use your good offices to cause investigations to be conducted into Abronye DC’s false allegations and their publication,” Mr. Lithur said.
Attached is the complaint by the former President