Chairman of the National Democratic Party Samuel ofosu Ampofo and Deputy Communication Officer, Kwaku Boahen, have pleaded not guilty to counts of all charges preferred against them, including conspiracy to cause harm.
The two appeared before an Accra High Court on Tuesday, 16 April 2019 to answer questions regarding contents of a leaked audio involving them.
The prosecution team was represented by Attorney General Gloria Akuffo and her Deputy Joseph Dindiok-Kpemka as against the defence counsels representing Mr. Ofosu Ampofo; Tony Lithur and Dominic Ayine
Mr. Boahen on the other hand is being represented by Dr. Basit Aziz, Edudzi Tamakloe and Baba Jamal.
Accompanied by other party officials including General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Joyce Bawa and others, the team joined the Chairman and Communications Officer for his first hearing in the case involving the said audio.
Background
A leaked audio purported to be the voice of Mr Ofosu-Ampofo in a meeting with NDC communicators had him saying: “We’re going to take her [Chairperson of the Electoral Commission] to the cleaners.”
“As for the EC Chair, we must wage a relentless war on this EC Chair. Me, she doesn’t want to see my face,” Mr Ofosu-Ampofo is alleged to have said.
In the audio, he also gave his blessing to the party communicators to insult the Most Rev. Professor Emmanuel Asante, the Chairman of the National Peace Council.
“For the first time, I’ll endorse insulting the National Peace Council Chair,” he said.
The alleged meeting between Mr Ofosu-Ampofo and NDC communicators was aimed at planning strategies ahead of the 2020 general election.
When the issue of the leaked tape went viral, the NDC described it as concocted and false.
A statement signed by Mr Gyamfi and released by the party dismissed the authenticity of the said tape and accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and some members of the government of being the masterminds behind the tape.
The NDC, therefore, urged the public to disregard the said audio, which had gone viral, and “treat all of its content with the contempt it deserves”.
Subsequently Mr. Ampofo after reporting to the CID for investigations was formally arrested and was charged accordingly with a threat of harm, conspiracy to harm a public officer and proceeded to write his statement.
After that, he was granted bail in the sum of Gh¢400,000 with two sureties.
Ofosu Ampofo and Boahen were accompanied by Former President Mahama, Asiedu Nketia and others