The Minority in Parliament has ordered the government led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to launch a full-scale investigation into the circumstances leading to the abduction and subsequent removal from Ghana of Mahran Mustapha Baajour, a Lebanese businessman who arrived in Ghana on December 13, 2018.

According to them, the family of the abducted Lebanese had since the 19th of January, 2019 instructed their lawyer, Roberts Ekow Dassah Esq. to commence legal action in an Accra High Court seeking to get the Human Rights Court 1 to compel Government to produce Mahran Mustapha Baajour.

A statement signed by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Ranking Member, Committee on Foreign Affairs and copied to GhanaWeb indicates that the court hearing for the case will be on April 2, 2019.

“Upon carrying out our own checks, we have evidence from the Middle East Airline which brought Mahran to Ghana on the 13th of December, 2018. Suffice to point out that several witnesses who were on the flight with the businessman stand in readiness to testify not to mention an official confirmation from the Ghana Immigration Service which was adduced in court affirming that Mahran Mustapha Baajour had indeed been processed at the Kotoka International Airport on the said date,” the statement said.

They added the Mr Baajour has arrived in Beirut, Lebanon on Qatar Airways and he is currently being debriefed by Lebanese authorities.

“Indications from Mahran's family, the Lebanese Government and human rights activists suggest that we have not seen the end of this matter. This is precisely the reason why the court proceedings in the Human Rights Court in Ghana is set to continue despite Mahran's sudden removal from Ghana."

Read below the full statement from the minority

MINORITY REACTS TO GOVERNMENT'S SHAMELESS DENIAL OF THE ABDUCTION OF MAHRAN MUSTAPHA BAAJOUR

The Minority in Parliament has become aware of an ignominious and undignified statement by a member of the Majority side of the Committee on Foreign Affairs seeking in a most pathetic effort to deny the obvious abduction and disappearance of Mahran Mustapha Baajour, a Lebanese businessman who arrived in Ghana on 13th December, 2018.

We note that the desperate statement which lacked any modicum of morality and truth was signed by Rev. John Ntim Fordjour. One wonders if our Honourable colleague still believes in the sacrosanct John 8:32 - "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

For the avoidance of doubt, the Minority in Parliament stands by all the facts as presented in our release of 24th March, 2019 as they remain the incontrovertible and unimpeachable truth.

In any case, we find it curious that Government did not find it worthy to deny virtually these same facts as carried by the Insight Newspaper and the international media several weeks before we put out our statement. Perhaps even more strange is Government's continuous silence in the face of protests in Lebanon accusing Government of the abduction several days before the Minority's statement.

The Minority wishes to further bring to the attention of the general public that the family of the abducted Lebanese had since the 19th of January, 2019 instructed their lawyer, Roberts Ekow Dassah Esq. to commence legal action in an Accra High Court seeking to get the Human Rights Court 1 to compel Government to produce Mahran Mustapha Baajour. Our information is that the next court date for the hearing of this case is 2nd April, 2019 and we should humbly appeal to the media to take interest in the court proceedings if indeed we are all interested in knowing the truth.

We should hasten to add also that upon carrying out our own checks, we have evidence from the Middle East Airline which brought Mahran to Ghana on the 13th of December, 2018. Suffice to point out that several witnesses who were on the flight with the businessman stand in readiness to testify not to mention an official confirmation from the Ghana Immigration Service which was adduced in court affirming that Mahran Mustapha Baajour had indeed been processed at the Kotoka International Airport on the said date.

The Minority can now confirm that following our initial statement calling into question Government's conduct, we have received news from Lebanon that Mahran Mustapha Baajour has a few hours ago been removed from Ghana and arrived in Beirut, Lebanon today the 25th of March, 2019. Mahran arrived on Qatar Airways and is currently being debriefed by Lebanese authorities even as his family in Lebanon has been contacted.

Noting these bizarre developments, the Minority calls on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to launch a full scale investigation into the circumstances leading to the abduction and subsequent removal from Ghana of Mahran Mustapha Baajour.

It must be noted that indications from Mahran's family, the Lebanese Government and human rights activists suggest that we have not seen the end of this matter. This is precisely the reason why the court proceedings in the Human Rights Court in Ghana is set to continue despite Mahran's sudden removal from Ghana.

Clearly, this is not a matter the now predictable cheap and mischievous strategy of Government to knock heads within Parliament's Committee of Foreign Affairs will save those who have conspired to bring our country's image into utter disrepute.

The Minority in Parliament assures that we would continue to jealously guard the good image of Ghana as a nation that upholds fundamental human rights and the rule of law, therefore we would resist attempts by rogue elements to tarnish Ghana's hard won reputation and soil our good name in the comity of nations.

Signed,
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP)
Ranking Member, Committee on Foreign Affairs.