Checks revealed 'De Eye Group' not a 'criminal organisation' - Bryan Acheampong

The Minister of State in-charge-of National Security, Mr Bryan Acheampong has explained that De Eye Group, reported by Joy News in a documentary as a militia was not a "criminal organisation."

In a social media post on Facebook on Sunday, Mr Acheampong said, "We did all the works and assured ourselves that De Eye group was not a Vigilante Group (truest form and interpretation), Militia, or criminal organization."

He said National Security "did not classify or see their operation as a threat to the state and or government."

Rather, it was found out that the group was soliciting young unemployed persons, writing to companies and agencies for job openings,  seeking to place their young unemployed clients into employment opportunities and charged them a fee for their services.

Following the broadcast of the documentary produced by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni last week, that the group, affiliated to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), had been operating illegally at the Christiansborg Castle, Osu, since the party won power in the December 2016 polls, there has been a public debate as to whether the group was a militia as described in the documentary.

But Mr Bryan Acheampong said the security apparatus never saw the need to classify the job recruitment operations of De-Eye group as a threat to the state after "we did all the works".

According to him, the security apparatus "assured ourselves that De-Eye group was not a vigilante group

In his statement, Mr Acheampong said the security apparatus was "aware that Nana Wireko, alias Choman started his company from his former secretariat at the castle, where we warned him on two occasions and arrested him, threw him out of the office and shut it down in October on our third encounter with him".

"It has not come to our notice that he'd had access to the office since. Their new office is located at Dzowulu. We are also aware that due to their extensive marketing efforts on TV, radio, website and their placement success rate, a lot of unsuspecting unemployed continued to visit the castle in search of De-Eye group.

• Related stories: 
• VIDEO: Joy News 'militia" documentary misleading - Government
• Soldiers have not cleared out De-Eye Group from Osu Castle - GAF
• It's true that NPP bodyguard was training people at Osu Castle - Ken Agyapong (VIDEO)

Below is a copy of the full post by Bryan Acheampong on Facebook

We did all the works and assured ourselves that De Eye group was not a Vigilante Group(truest form and interpretation), Militia, or criminal organization.

Importantly we did not classify or see their operation as a threat to the state and or government.

Indeed we are privy to every facet of their operations which primarily involves
1. Soliciting young unemployed persons
2. Writing to companies and agencies for job openings
3. Seeking to Place thier young unemployed clients into employment opportunities
4. Charging them a fee for their services

We are also aware that Nana Wireko alias Choman started his company from his former Secretariat at the castle where we warned him on two occasions and arrested him, threw him out of the office and shut it down in October on our third encounter with him.

It has not come to our notice that he'd had access to the office since.

Thier new office is located at Dzowulu

We are also aware that due to their extensive marketing efforts on TV, radio, website and thier placement success rate, a lot of unsuspecting unemployed continued to visit the castle In search of De Eye group.

At NO time did we see these people conducting any training regime that we will consider a security threat.

We were aware of their end of year party at the castle gardens. But No one, nobody, seeing these innocent job seeking young men and women can conclude that they are a vigilante group or militia. Infact they don't pass for a school cadet.

Those responsible for managing the castle lawn must answer why they allowed these people on thier space. Since its no longer a security installation our interest ended when we determined the purpose of gathering and satisfied ourselves extensively that they pose no threats.

You can be sure, that we have the men, masked and unmasked to suppress any threat to our peace and security if indeed there is one.