NCA ruling bias, shocking - NDC

Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Otokunor has described the Accra High Court’s sentencing of some former National Communications Authority (NCA) bosses as shocking and bias.

Speaking to Kwabena Agyapong on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, the NDC officer said the ”judgment was interesting”.

He opined although the NDC believes in accountability and transparency and introduced the law on causing financial loss to the state, the circumstances that led to the jailing of a former Director-General of the National Communications Authority (NCA), William Tetteh Tevie and Salifu Osman, a former National Security representative coordinator was shocking.

Mr. Otokunor gave the hint lawyers of the affected would appeal the ruling because the trial judge was, bias, in his ruling and went into the case with the conviction to jail the former appointees.

Commenting on the other accused person who was acquitted and discharged, he said this gives a clear indication that the case was preconceived and an agenda.

Nana Owusu Ensaw, a businessman, filed an appeal and got a ruling in his favour leading to his discharge.

Mr. Otokunor said the businessman who filed the appeal won because the judge who presided over the appeal ruled that the Accra High Court judge had a preconceived mind.

He blamed President Akufo-Addo for this, saying he [President] had threatened to jail former appointees of the NDC and he is using judges to execute that agenda.

He alleged the latest appointments made by the president in the judiciary forms part of that agenda and from some of the rulings that have come from these judges, confirms his assertions.

This, he lamented will make Ghanaians lose confidence in the judiciary and turn Ghana into a banana republic.

Mr. William Tetteh Tevie, has been handed a six-year jail term by the High Court.

Also, Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, the former Board Chairman of the Authority, has been jailed for six years.

In the same case, the High Court also slapped a five-year jail term on Salifu Osman, a former National Security representative coordinator.

Justice Eric Kyei Baffour found them guilty of causing $4 million financial loss to the state.

The Attorney General has been ordered to seize assets belonging to the convicted persons estimated to be worth $3 million.

Among the charges were stealing, using public office for personal gains, and willfully causing financial loss to the state in respect of the purchase of a Pegasus machine worth $4 million, to among other things assist in the fight against terrorism.