Embattled Boahen brings mother into Ofosu Ampofo leaked tape saga

The embattled NDC Deputy National Communications Officer, Anthony Kwaku Boahen, standing trial in the Ofosu Ampofo leaked tape saga has named his mother as an alibi.

Mr Boahen has maintained that he was not present at the said meeting where the party’s National Chairman was allegedly inciting party members to cause mayhem.

According to him, a number of people, including his mother Comfort Serwaa Fosu can confirm his whereabouts on the said date the leaked tape was recorded.

“The biological mother of the second accused also said on February 2, 2019, herself, together with the accused went to Bomfa Achiase to attend a funeral but as at 6:30pm, he left for Ejisu for a short meeting where he spent the night.

“Another witness, Steven Oppong also told the police that on Saturday, February 2, 2019, he was with the accused at a funeral, that even on February 3, he was with the accused at Achiase,” a police investigator, Bernard Berko told the court.

Mr Berko said although some people, including Mr Boahen’s mother, told the police that the second accused person was at Bomfa Achiase, his investigations showed otherwise.

“On February 3, 2019, Marigold’s hotel manager at Santase, who was on duty the whole day said the second accused person never came there. Per the procedure of the processes whoever comes there to lodge, they must produce their particulars — name and contact.

“However, records from the hotel shows that the second accused person never came there on February 3, 2019. But the second accused person said he went there in the morning to visit somebody,” Mr Berko said.

Despite these accounts, the police investigator is convinced the ‘alibi’ supporting the second accused person’s whereabouts was merely an afterthought.

He argued that the second accused person may have corroborated with the witnesses at a later time after he was invited by the police.

But counsel for the first accused person, Tony Lithur, insisted he withdraws the statement since he was already making a determination of the case — that seeks to imply he was a judge of his own case.

He withdrew the statement immediately when the judge sided with counsel for the first accused person. The case continues on January 11, 2021.

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.

ALSO READ: Defence protests as Witness identifies Ogbamey

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.