Lawyer for embattled Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho, has stated that securing a bail for his client delayed because the state wanted “prominent citizens” to act as sureties.
According to Victor Kojogah Adawudu, Mr. Anyidoho was granted bail after his father, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Henry Kwame Anyidoho finalized the processes.
“I think that is what delayed the whole thing. We were negotiating to see the terms. Koku Anyidoho is not someone who can run away. The sureties, they wanted some prominent citizens who know that any day, any time they want Koku, Koku will make himself available. I believe we all know Koku’s father, the work he’s done for this nation. He stood surety,” Adawudu told the media at the NDC head office, Thursday.
Earlier, the legal brain indicated in an interview on Citi FM that he suspects the influence of some ‘external forces’ is responsible for the refusal to grant his client bail.
“The current position of the law is that every offense in this country is bailable… So when somebody comes and says that we don’t have instruction to bail, they have to give us reason. We felt that there might be some interference coming from somewhere,” Adawudu intimated.
The arrest
Mr. Anyidoho was picked up at the International Press centre on Tuesday for making comments deemed treasonable.
While commenting on the ratification of the controversial defence cooperation agreement between Ghana and the US, Anyidoho stated that President Akufo-Addo will be overthrown just like his father was in 1972.
“On January 13, 1972, a certain Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong led a movement that removed the Progress Party from power. Busia was the Prime Minister and Akufo-Addo’s father was a ceremonial president. Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself. There’ll be a civil revolt,” he said on Happy FM.
Anyidoho spent almost 48 hours in the custody of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) amidst protests and demands for his release by NDC members.
The Accra High Court ordered the Police CID to seize some essential electronic gadgets on which information related to the alleged treasonable comments made by Koku Anyidoho are said to be stored.
The items included laptops, iPhones and ipads. Justice Patience Mills-Tetteh gave the order on Wednesday following an ex-parte motion issued at the court by the Police. The order also permitted the police to search and seize electronic devices of ‘agents’ of Anyodoho.
Meanwhile, National Organiser of the NDC, Kofi Adams has indicated that the party will not relent on its efforts to give the government the opposition it deserves.
“We in the NDC will not stop speaking about the wrongs that this government and President Nana Akufo-Addo and his Vice President Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia are visiting on this country and continue to visit on the country.”
“Indeed were even more emboldened to continue to raise the wrongs and we are going to continue doing this. We will fight and speak against this occupation of foreign forces in our land. We will make sure the sovereignty of Ghana is protected,” he told the media.
