The three South African ex-police officers, who were arrested in Ghana recently and deported, were found to be “dangerous characters”, who posed a threat to Ghana’s national security, deputy Minister of the Interior James Agalga has said.

“We found them dangerous to our national security. Per the judgement of the security agents of this country, their actions were inimical to our national security. We did all our investigations, we came to the conclusion that these are very dangerous characters,” Mr Agalga told Samson Lardy Anyenini on Multi TV’s Newsfile programme on Saturday April 2, 2016.

The three: Chris Hazis, 54, also known as Major Ahmed Shaik (rtd); WO/Denver Dwayhe Naidu (rtd), 39; and Captain Mlungiseleli Jokani (rtd), 45, were picked up at the El Capitano Hotel at Agona Duakwa in the Central region a couple of weeks ago.

They were said to be training 15 members of Ghana’s biggest opposition party, NPP, in various security drills, including unarmed combat, weapon handling, VIP protection techniques, and rapid response manoeuvres. They have been charged with false declaration and unlawful training. They were put before court on Thursday March 24. They pleaded not guilty and were each granted a GHS 20,000 bail with sureties. The BNI, however, continued to hold them in custody until their deportation.

The NPP has insisted the three were neither "mercenaries" nor "terrorists" as was alleged by some officials of the NDC, but were experts who were only training bodyguards to control crowds around the NPP flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo and his running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, during campaigning, ahead of the November polls.