The former constituency chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ayawaso West Wuogon, Michael Omari Wadie, says he was stripped naked and thrown into the cells of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

The former chairman said after he was picked up at the airport, he was taken to the BNI, stripped naked and kept in a mosquito infested room. “They stripped me naked and kept me in a hot, mosquito infested room where I spent the night.”

Omari Wadie finally gained his freedom yesterday after being detained for more than 24hours.

Omari Wadie was arrested in a Hollywood-style on the tarmac of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in the early hours of Monday when he arrived in the country from a trip to London, United Kingdom.

Though no official statement or reason was assigned for his arrest and subsequent detention, it was believed to relate to a picture in circulation on the social media network facebook, in which a man, photoshopped to look like President Mahama, is seen having sex with a female at a place that looks like an office. Similar photographs of NPP presidential candidate are in circulation on facebook.

Omari Wadie, however, denied having anything to do with the said fake picture.

In spite of protest from his party men, the former NPP constituency chairman was denied access to counsel and family until his release.

Members of the NPP considered his arrest and detention as diversionary tactics to take away the eyes and minds of Ghanaians from the ongoing election petition hearing which is being beamed live on national television.

Interestingly, no official statement has come from the NPP as a party except comments from the likes of Hopeson Adorye, Anthony Abayifaa Karbo and party General Secretary condemning the arrest of their party man.

Moments after his release from BNI custody yesterday, Omari Wadie told media men he had been charged for ‘offensive conduct,’ a charge he was not sure of.

Although he admitted seeing the sex material in question on facebook, Omari Wadie said he did not know its source.

Omari Wadie said the BNI officials themselves told him the source of the picture was from Nigeria, a claim he said he could not confirm; wondering why the BNI knew the source of the picture and yet proceeded to ask him of the source of the material.

“I don’t know which of the law or section they are referring to, but that is the charge they gave me,” he said.

“They (referring to the BNI) say I should come tomorrow (being today), maybe tomorrow (today) they will explain the law better to me,” the NPP man narrated.

He expressed utmost surprise he was denied access to a lawyer and members of his family even though he made a request to that effect, describing his detention as worrying.

“They did not allow me to talk to any lawyer, I requested to see my family, they said no; as we speak now it is outside that I am seeing my family,” were his exact comments.

He could, however, not hide his joy after going through that tortuous mental ordeal, saying “I feel good I have been released, I feel better now after going through all this, if you are released you only thank God.”

Political Motivation

Michael Omari-Wadie suggested on several media outlets yesterday that his arrest was politically motivated because he refused to join the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to Omari-Wadie, he was asked to defect when President Mahama was made the Vice Presidential candidate of the party because of his relationship with his family, but he declined.

“The Mahamas are my friends. During the election, they asked me to switch because their brother was getting a Vice Presidential position. After the election, they asked again, asking me to come and enjoy but I told them I was principled and would work for the NPP till my last breath,” he stated.

Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News, Mr. Omari-Wadie also stated that his garage, where he sold cars in front of the Accra Girls Senior High School, was demolished to intimidate him.

“They went to demolish my garage, where I sell my cars in front of Accra Girls Senior High School. Why did they do that? Political intimidation and harassment because they do not believe that you should work if you are not with them,” he said.

He further stated that after he was accused of planting bombs at some transmission and production sites, he only returned from a trip abroad to be tagged again with another story.

“They said during the load shedding periods, I had gone to plant bombs at the transmission and production sites…I travelled and before I came back, they had created this story and tagged me with it. I can say it is just political harassment and degradation.”