The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed outrage at the high-handed and repressive methods being employed by the NPP's administration to intimidate, harass and persecute its critics. The party is particularly concerned about the arrests of Ms Dzidzo Tay and Riad Hozaifeh, a confidant of ex-President Rawlings and says it would not sit down unconcerned for NPP to erode the country's democratic gains.

A statement signed by NDC General Secretary, Dr Josiah Aryeh, described the arrest of Ms Dzidzo Tay by the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) as another example of the ''level of political intolerance of the Kufuor administration''. It also described the arrest of Mr Riad Hozaifeh, as a serious indictment on the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC).

Ms Tay was interrogated by the BNI on Monday for alleged treasonable comments he made during a phone-in programme on Metro TV by calling on President Kufuor and his Ministers to be preparing to hand over in July this year, for mismanaging the economy.

The NDC statement said compared to many others, the views expressed by Ms Tay was nothing extraordinary to warrant her arrest and interrogation. "It is clear that, the arrests and interrogations were carefully orchestrated by the government's security agencies to silence critics and in the process manipulate the private electronic media to black out voices that are critical of the NPP government''.

"It is ironic that the clampdown on free speech is being carried out despite the repeal of the law on criminal libel", the party said.

On the detention of Riad Hozaifeh, the NDC said in spite of denials by the Director of CID, David Asante-Apeatu, it was apparent that his arrest was directly connected to the allegations made by Mr Kweku Baako, Managing Editor of the Crusading Guide newspaper at last week's sitting of the NRC.

"Indeed the circumstances leading to the arrest of Mr Riad Hozaifeh have confirmed the earlier fears expressed by the party that the NRC would be used by the Kufuor administration as a platform to prosecute its political agenda aimed primarily at the NDC, which is seen as a successor to the AFRC and PNDC regimes.

The statement said, "sadly, the NPP government's blatant assault on free speech using the BNI and the Police CID has been greeted with a disturbing silence by hitherto vocal civil society groups and identifiable bodies".

The NDC said its leadership was considering options to actions it would take in the face of unjustified arrests and harassment by the government and its security operatives.