Scores of supporters of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Monday gathered at the headquarters of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in Accra to demand the release of Mr Dennis Miracles Aboagye, a member of the party’s communications team and spokesperson for former Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
The supporters said Mr Aboagye should either be released immediately or formally informed of the reasons for his arrest.
The protest follows claims by the NPP that Mr Aboagye was arrested on Saturday at the Kotoka International Airport by officers of EOCO with the assistance of personnel from the Ghana Immigration Service.
According to the party, the circumstances surrounding the arrest remain unclear.
The NPP has also alleged that Mr Aboagye has been denied access to his lawyers since his arrest. However, EOCO and the Ghana Immigration Service had not publicly responded to those allegations at the time of filing this report.
The issue has heightened tensions between the opposition party and the state investigative agencies, with party supporters converging on the EOCO premises to express solidarity with Mr Aboagye and demand his release.
The arrest was first disclosed publicly by the NPP General Secretary, Mr Justin Frimpong Kodua, in a Facebook post on Sunday, July 12.
Mr Kodua alleged that EOCO officers, assisted by officials of the Ghana Immigration Service, arrested Mr Aboagye and called for his immediate release.
Since then, some senior officials and supporters of the party have urged EOCO to disclose the basis for the arrest and ensure that Mr Aboagye’s constitutional and legal rights are respected.
As of Monday afternoon, EOCO had not issued an official statement on the arrest or the allegations made by the NPP.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
