Koku Anyidoho slapped with 3 charges

The police have slapped the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Koku Anyidoho, with three charges of causing fear and alarm and treason felony following his alleged remarks that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would be overthrown in a civil revolt.

A statement signed by the Director General of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr David S. Eklu, said Mr Anyidoho was in the custody of the police and due process would be followed in handling the case.

It said the Police Administration had taken note of the high public interest following Mr Anyidoho’s arrest by officers of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

According to the statement, the police officers were dispatched to the International Press Centre in Accra to arrest Mr Anyidoho who, by his statement and conduct, had published statements likely to cause fear and alarm to the public and also endeavoured to carry out, by unlawful means, an enterprise which usurped the Executive power of Ghana.

Read also: Police arrest Koku Anyidoho over coup comments

Following his arrest, it said, Mr Anyidoho was taken to the CID Headquarters by the arresting officers and a search was subsequently conducted at his residence in his presence and that of his lawyer.

Mr Anyidoho, it said, had been cautioned on the three charges, while investigations continued.

“The Police Administration assures the public that it will follow due process in the investigation of the offence suspected to have been committed by Mr Anyidoho,” the statement said.

It, therefore, urged the public to remain calm and rather support the police in the discharge of their duty.

It debunked speculations that Mr Anyidoho had been transferred from police custody to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

Sources close to the police hinted that Mr Anyidoho only spent the night at the BNI, since the CID Headquarters did not have a cell to hold him overnight.

Mr Anyidoho was arrested last Tuesday after a press conference organised by the Inter-Party Coalition for National Sovereignty at the International Press Centre in Accra.

He is alleged to have made remarks that there would be a social revolution during the tenure of President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Mr Anyidoho is alleged to have remarked on a local radio station last Monday: “On January 13, 1972, a certain Col Ignatius Kutu Acheampong led a movement that removed the Progress Party (PP) from power.

“Busia was the Prime Minister and Akufo-Addo’s father was a ceremonial President. Somebody should tell Nana Akufo-Addo that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself.

Related: Police disperse Koku Anyidoho supporters with teargas and water

"There’ll be a civil revolt. There will be a people’s movement. During President John Mahama’s tenure, didn’t we receive similar threats from the likes of Let My Vote Count and OccupyGhana?

“There will be a civilian coup d’etat; there’ll be a social revolution and the movement is starting on Wednesday. He [Akufo-Addo] will be fed up at the Presidency.”

Mr Anyidoho, who had refused to follow two policemen in plain clothes from the CID Headquarters who initiated his arrest after the press conference, later decided to respond to the police invitation by walking to the CID Headquarters, about 500 metres away from the press centre.

He was accompanied by some policemen and some officials of the NDC and the People’s National Convention (PNC), including Kofi Portuphy and Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, the National Chairman and the General Secretary of the NDC, respectively, and Mr Bernard Mornah, the Chairman of the PNC.

Chaos

Following the arrest, the police officers had to apply minimum force to disperse hundreds of NDC supporters who blocked the major road in front of the Police Headquarters.

The officers sprayed water cannons and tear gas on the supporters who had defied many orders to move away from the road, a situation that led to injury of some media persons and supporters of the NDC.