“We must wage war against EC Chair” – Court hears Ofosu Ampofo’s 2-hour audio tape
The opposition National Democratic Congress Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, in a leaked audio tape vowed to wage war against the EC boss Jean Mensa.
In a two-hour audio tape, where NDC communicators had gathered to talk about happenings surrounding the Ayawaso West Wuogon violence, the NDC National Chairman was captured inciting the communicators.
“We must wage against the Electoral Commission’s Chairperson [Jean Mensah]. With me, she doesn’t even want to see my face, we went to the office and she told us it was our usual tactics that caused the violence.
“We will target some people and we will let them know their lives are in danger. When it comes to this game we are better than them. We should not spare the Civil Society Organisations and religious leaders, especially the Peace Council Chair.
“We are not joking, we want to assure you that we will sit with the leaders and come up with a security plan,” as stated in the leaked tape by the NDC Chairman.
At this point, there was much tension as court patrons stole a glance at the NDC Chairman in disbelief.
Some notable personalities identified in the tape was the Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu, the party’s National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi and the deputy General Secretary Barbara Asamoah.
At the last sitting, it was revealed that the controversial tape where the NDC Chairman is alleged to have used unruly words was sent to Israel for forensic examination.
A police investigator with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Bernard Berko who testified against the NDC politician, revealed this during his examination.
“I made a copy and also made a copy of the one I had earlier received from Adom FM and labelled it as Elder Ofosu Ampofo.
“My Lord, I forwarded the two recordings to the Israel Forensic Science Institute for examination,” the Detective said.
The Accra High Court has since admitted the audio as evidence, but not without strong opposition from the defence counsel.
Mr Ampofo’s defence counsel, Tony Lithur had argued that it was a violation of privacy for the accused to have been recorded without his permission.
READ: Ofosu Ampofo leaked tape sent to Isreal for forensic exams
Background
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo and the NDC’s Communications Officer of the party, Anthony Kwaku Boahen, are standing trial for conspiracy to assault a public officer and conspiracy to cause harm.
In a widely circulated audio, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo is allegedly heard inciting party communicators to assault public officials and plotting to harm some other civilians – allegations he has vehemently denied.
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In the audio, apart from inciting the party’s communicators, he is also heard urging them to discredit the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, who replaced a Mahama appointed EC boss, Charlotte Osei.
According to the audio, the plan was to create a general state of insecurity in the country through kidnapping, as well as verbal attacks on the Chairperson of the EC.
Ofosu Ampofo maintains innocence
Ofosu Ampofo, who described his trial as a political witch-hunt, minced no words by stating that he knows those behind his misfortunes.
The former Local Government Minister insisted that his arrest and subsequent trial is borne out of mischief and an attempt by his detractors to frustrate his effort as national chairman of the largest opposition party.
Ofosu Ampofo has refused to give out the names of the said detractors but promised to reveal it in due time.
The NDC Chairman believes he will bounce back stronger as he has learnt useful lessons with the ongoing trial.
Legal counsel for the embattled National Chairman, had argued that the audio recording of their client was a breach of his privacy.
The defence team led by Tony Lithur had filed an application asking an Accra High Court to stop the state from presenting a leaked audio recording as evidence of his client’s alleged crime.