South Africa three Deportation: Lawyers to file contempt charges against BNI
The deportation of the three South Africans who were arrested for engaging in acts detrimental to national security will not stop their lawyers from filing contempt charges against officials of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
Advertisement
One of the lawyers for the three, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, told Graphic Online’s Mabel Aku Baneseh that, “irrespective of the fact that they have deported our clients, we will still press for contempt of court charges.”
Mr Akyea argued that the refusal of officials of the BNI to release the three retired South African police officers after the court had granted them bail amounted to “disregard of the court’s authority, which must not go unpunished.”
He further described the deportation as “most embarrassing,” to Ghana’s security set up.
Condemning the act, Mr Akyea said “this is most embarrassing to our security set up because if they had confidence in their charges, they should have prosecuted them and not left them off the hook.”
He further noted that the deportation of the three was indicative of the fact that their arrest was a “whole melodrama.”
According to him, charges levelled against Major Ahmed Shaik Hazis (retd), 54; Warrant Officer Denver Dwayhe, 33, and Captain Mlungiseli Jokani, 45 were without substance.
“It was to feed the NDC’s propaganda that the NPP is doing something untoward,” Mr Akyea noted.
Other Trending Stories
The deportation of the three, counsel noted, was a mockery of Ghana’s democracy because what had transpired was an “international embarrassment.”
The three South Africans were arrested in the Central Region for allegedly engaging in activities with national security implications.
They were alleged to be training 15 young men in various security drills, including unarmed combat, weapon handling, VIP protection techniques and rapid response exercises.
They were put on board South African Airways flight number 210, which departed around 9:26 am to Johannesburg today.
Their entry visas have been revoked by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
Officials from the GIS and security details from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), escorted the three to the aircraft, which was yet to be boarded by other passengers.
Graphic Online witnessed the scene as the three were made to board the aircraft around 8:29 am. They were not handcuffed and had no security escort from Ghana.
According to security sources, South African officials would meet the three on arrival.
Bail
The three were granted bail on March 24, 2016, but officials of the BNI whisked the three away amidst protest from their lawyers, who viewed the act as an abuse of the rights of the accused persons.
The three were each granted a GhȻ20,000 bail with one surety when they were arraigned at the Accra Circuit Court on March 24, 2016.