The Executive Director of Policy Think Tank, Danquah Institute, Nana Attobrah Quaicoe, has revealed that his outfit invited one of the three South African ex-Police officers into the country to lecture on security issues.
“Major Ahmed Shaik Hazis was invited in December 2015 for discussion and he came in February and after that he left so sometime in March ,when we heard that some three South Africans have been arrested and Hazis was one of them, we were surprised.”
Major Hazis and two other South African former Police officers; Denver Dwahye Naidu and Mlungiseli Jokani, were arrested in the Central Region for allegedly training the security personnel of the flagbearer and running mate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo Addo and Mahamadu Bawumia.
[contextly_sidebar id=”wfNKwhiuDd9Ysw0TswKghw2Nd8Tgtd6Q”]They were charged with conspiracy to commit crime and unlawful training. The Head of Nana Addo’s security team Captain (rtd) Edmund Koda and Captain (rtd) Acquah, the owner of the EL-Capitano Hotel, where the three South Africans lodged were also picked up by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
A statement issued by the Interior Ministry said Naidu and Jokani were invited by Dr. Daniel Mckorley, Chairman of McDan Group of Companies, while Hazis was invited by Mr. Atobrah Quaicoe.
Mr. Quaicoe was later picked up by the BNI for questioning.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, Mr. Quaicoe insisted that he did no wrong by inviting Hazis into the country, and that his invitation in December last year, had nothing to do with the man’s presence in the country in March 2016.
“His background is security and if we invite him to come and talk about security what is wrong with that? He was our guest so he came to share his insight with us. What is wrong inviting him [Hazis and his friends] to Ghana, if there is any law breached by inviting Hazis into the country then let’s look at that law,” he argued.
Mr. Quaicoe, who has been granted bail by the BNI explained that “according to the BNI we sent a letter inviting Hazis sometime in December and his presence in Ghana now was the visa he obtained in pursuant to our invite and so they were trying to draw a link between his presence in Ghana when he was arrested and when we invited him.”
“…When we say democracy, it is very broad. The person we are talking about has a security background and security is a very crucial component of our democracy and if you invite somebody like Hazis to come have a talk or discussion with you over security and democracy, I don’t think you are out of place,” he insisted.
–
By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana