Although the courts established that the NDC administration never sought parliamentary approval for that agreement and ordered that to be done months after the two had been accepted in the country,Mr. Ablakwa says unlike the NPP, they consulted various stakeholders on the move before the men were brought into the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”LkGN7fYYc1soJuHC6032cjybZoHMiPKK”]The Minority has strongly condemned government’s decision to present before Parliament for ratification, a Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation between Ghana and the United States, that will give the Americans some space in the country to set up a base for its military forces.

The Minority has argued that the deal was in bad taste and should therefore be withdrawn from Parliament to allow for deeper consultations and a possible review of some clauses.

But some Ghanaians have questioned the Minority’s moral right to take on government seeing the controversy that surrounded the hosting of the ex-Gitmo two who have now become a burden for the government.

Speaking on Eyewitness News,  Mr. Ablakwa refuted these claims, insisting that unlike this current deal, the previous government consulted key stakeholders, including political party leaders before sealing the Gitmo two agreement.

“I want to place on record that when we began negotiations with the Americans on accepting the Gitmo two deal, there were broad consultations. Indeed one of the conditions that we gave the Americans was that they ought to reach out to opposition leader, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo. And if you recall, the office of the opposition leader issued a statement confirming that they were consulted except that they said that at the time they were consulted, it was virtually a bit complete and they believe that the Mahama administration had already accepted to receive the two”.

“We issued a public statement before the Gitmo two arrived. The honourable Minister signed a public statement unlike the government of the NPP that has failed to consult political parties. I don’t see how you can compare the Gitmo 2 agreement to the current arrangement which gives out our radio spectrum for free and does not allow us to check what will be brought into our country,”he told host of Eyewitness News, Umaru Sanda Amadu.

‘Details of agreement’

Among other things, the US military will be exempted from paying taxes on equipment they will bring to Ghana.

They will also be allowed to set up a telecommunication system on Ghana’s radio spectrum for free.

Although many Ghanaians have expressed resentment over the clauses of the agreement, the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, said the agreement is in the best interest of Ghana.

He said that the US personnel will only be given a few buildings to operate in, contrary to media reports that a portion of land was going to be allocated to them for the establishment of a base.

Mr. Ablakwa however believes this poses a major security threat to Ghana, given that the US military will be given unrestricted access.

“This is not about anti American sentiments. We love relations with the United States of America. As Ghanaian leaders we should also be thinking about Ghana first. We have seen all the terms in this agreement. We have seen how our radio spectrum is handed over free of charge at a time when Ghanaian companies are being hounded, people have lost their licenses and those who have defaulted have been fined heavily and yet the wealthiest nation is not to pay anything for our radio spectrum. There are larger security implications about having this permanent presence for this length of time.”

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post ‘You can’t compare ‘military base’ deal to Gitmo 2′ – Ablakwa appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah noted that, the two-year agreement with the United States of America to host the two Yemeni nationals, which ended on January 6, 2017,  did not outline an exit plan.

[contextly_sidebar id=”gdW6KLSPwf0ZdTJuczy4mS4X3iIH5YHm”]Furthermore, the cost of monitoring the two nationals was going to be borne by Ghana after the agreement ended.

These details were among what Mr. Oppong Nkrumah described as “strange” points in the agreement.

“…One of the things we found strange was that, it did not have an exit clause in it. Another thing we found strange is, it appears in this arrangement that, yes, the Americans were going to assist us in the first two years take care of them, but implicit in this agreement was that the Ghanaian taxpayer, and that’s what the previous administration agreed to, was going to be the one literally providing for their security management in this country.”

No benefits for Ghana

Mr. Oppong Nkrumah also said there were no apparent benefits to Ghana for hosting the two Yemeni nationals.

“You could also not find in this agreement what the government of Ghana or what the people of Ghana were gaining from this all together… You also don’t see why the entire enterprise was shrouded in secrecy,” he remarked on the contents of the agreement.

As it stands now, residuals from the financial support the government got from the US are currently catering for the security arrangement of the two.

The US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert Jackson has confirmed that US government no longer has any responsibilities towards the former Guantanamo Bay detainees after the deal expired.

Background

The two detainees Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, who were in detention for 14 years after being linked with terrorist group Al-Qaeda, were brought to Ghana in January 2016, for a period of two years.

But some seven months into their stay, in July 2016, they were granted refugee status in Ghana.

The following month, they were also granted special Ghanaian passports that will expire in August 2018.

Because of their refugee status, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, told Parliament that the government has no option of returning the former detainees to their home country.

The two Yemeni will also have to consent to being moved to a different country.

‘Incompetence from government’

The Akufo-Addo administration has stated that it was not aware of any these developments, though a Former Information Minister, Mahama Ayariga, described such claims as a show of incompetence.

He argued that the three sector agencies namely; the Foreign Ministry, Interior Ministry and National Security had supervisory role over the former detainees “so if you [government] want to have a full picture, you would have gone to these three agencies to find out, and if you didn’t find anything on record, you would have [also] invited those who were occupying these offices for more details.”

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NDC knew ‘taxpayers will cater for Gitmo 2’ – Oppong Nkrumah appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday after she appeared before Parliament, she said the government was actively exploring the possibility of sending the two Yemeni nationals to another country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”5A1fcawZtjdSgL3OuGGGpGEi3aiiMdHD”]In response to questions on the specific countries they are looking at, Madam Ayorkor Botchway said, “for security reasons, I cannot give that kind of information.”

She added that the search for a third nation to host the two Yemenis is reaping some positive results stating that “until we found out that they must consent or agree to it. Whatever option we present to them [the two former detainees], they must consent to it. That is the bottom line, because of their [refugee] status.”

The indications put forth by the Foreign Affairs Minister are consistent with the statement released at the time from the then-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hanna Tetteh, on January 6, 2015, when the deal to host the two was announced.

The government did not explicitly state that the former detainees would necessarily have to leave the country after the agreement expired.

The statement said the two may leave the country after the two-year period, suggesting the decision was in their hands.

“At the request of the US Government, we have also agreed to accept two detainees of Yemeni origin who were detained in Guantanamo but who have been cleared of any involvement in any terrorist activities and are being released. They are unable to return to Yemen at the moment and we have indicated our readiness to accept them for a period of two years after which they may leave the country,” that statement said.

The two detainees of Yemeni nationality, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, who were in detention for 14 years after being linked with terrorist group Al-Qaeda, were brought to Ghana in January 2016, for a period of two years in a deal with the United States of America.

Refugee status

Appearing before Parliament, Madam Ayorkor Botchway had revealed that the two former detainees were granted refugee status under the Mahama government in July 2016, thus, the current government was constrained from exploring any further options for their transfer, and will await an in-depth examination of the matter by the appropriate agencies.

Yemen, their home country, has been engulfed in an intense civil war for the past two years with fighting between pro-government forces led by the current President, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and anti-government forces led by the Houthis, who are backed by former President Ali Abed Allah Saleh, who had ruled for 33 years.

Madam Ayorkor Botchway stressed to the media that the government was still consulting on the matter, adding that “we will examine what we get from other agencies and I think that is key… For now, we are saying that our hands are tied because they have been granted a legal status for them to stay here.”

Hosting Gitmo two bad deal but…

Giving her view on the matter as a whole, Madam Ayorkor Botchway said: “I think it was not a good deal and it is evident from the sentiments that have been expressed by Ghanaians and they continue to express the fact that they are not comfortable that the two were accepted and they live with us.”

“On the other hand, the reports I have been given are that, they are of good behaviour, they haven’t been engaged in anything untoward and therefore, judging on that basis, you can say that there is no need for us to be concerned,” she added.

Background

The move to host the two in the country was criticized by many observers including the then-in-opposition New Patriotic Party, who described the two as a security threat despite assurances to the contrary by the US.

Two citizens; Margaret Bamful and Henry Nana Boakye, further sued the former Attorney General and the Minister of Interior contending that the two were being hosted illegally.

The two were justified by the Supreme Court, which declared as unconstitutional, the agreement between the Mahama government and the United States.

The apex court ordered the government to send the agreement to Parliament for ratification or have the two detainees sent back to the US.

According to the judgment, the government needed the approval of Parliament before entering into any international agreement, just as in the case of the two detainees.

When the matter came up for discussion in Parliament, the House was informed that the agreement was reached under a note verbale and Memorandum of Understanding.

A note verbale is a piece of diplomatic correspondence prepared in the third person and unsigned. Parliament subsequently ratified the agreement for the two for detainees to be in the country.

Return GITMO 2 now – Antwi Danso to gov’t

An International relations analyst, Dr. Vladimir Antwi Danso, wants government to take immediate steps to return the two former Guantanamo Bay detainees  to where ever they came from.

“They were given two years to stay in Ghana, and the two years have elapsed, what next. And for me they have to leave the country. They must be made to leave by the tenets of the agreement. And agreement tells how its termination can be. So I don’t see why this thing cannot be done, because if they are not made to leave, the security implications are dire,” he told Umaru Sanda on the Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News on Tuesday.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t considering another country for Gitmo 2, but… – Minister appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“I am of the opinion that once we don’t find them as a threat to national security we should continue to host them. This world is a global village. What happens elsewhere affects our own security,” he said on The Big Issue.

[contextly_sidebar id=”D5UyvcR15TiW7BAML7jNSHlvhaWCrL1O”]Ghana’s controversial agreement with the United States of America for the two-year stay of the two former Guantanamo Bay detainees, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, ended on January 6, 2018.

The government has said it is discussing the future of the two, who were in detention for 14 years after being linked with terrorist group Al-Qaeda.

Despite the concerns that met Ghana’s decision to host the two Yemeni men, their two-year stay passed without any incident.

Mr. Kpebu believes continuing to show commitment to the US on this front will only serve to bolster the nation’s security efforts.

“To the extent that we have helped for about two years now, I think that once everything holds constant, we should continue to help because we are also thereby taking care of our own security. Some of these things are not done for free… when you keep these guys we also benefit. They share intelligence with us and so many other things.”

“Bottom line is that, once it doesn’t hurt our national security to continue to host them, let’s do so because we are also indirectly taking care of our own security by helping out,” the lawyer said.

‘Storm in a teacup’

Anti-corruption campaigner, Sydney Casely Hayford, also speaking on the show, welcomed the stay of the two Yemeni, and said the negative reaction to the hosting of the two was ultimately overblown.

“We need to conclude that at the end of the day, it was just a storm in a teacup. They are welcome to stay – why not?”

Earlier on, the Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the firestorm generated in response to the agreement, including fears of the terror attacks were alarmist.

He believes the incident-free stay of the two former Guantanamo Bay detainees vindicates the Mahama government’s decision to enter into the agreement with the United States of America to host them.

The move was criticized by many observers including the then-in-opposition New Patriotic Party, who described the two as a security threat despite assurances to the contrary by the US.

Two citizens; Margaret Bamful and Henry Nana Boakye, further sued the former Attorney General and the Minister of Interior contending that the two were being hosted illegally.

The suit was upheld by the Supreme Court, which declared as unconstitutional the agreement between the Mahama government and the United States.

The apex court ordered the government to send the agreement to Parliament for ratification or have the two detainees sent back to the US.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Extending Gitmo 2 stay could benefit Ghana – Lawyer appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Ablakwa said the firestorm generated in response to the agreement, including fears of the terror attacks were alarmist.

[contextly_sidebar id=”BMKKDXoZ1K6xQuwNpOR8IGKDiv2XabZy”]”There hasn’t been any of these situations that critics of our administration at the time put out against us. In hindsight, it is clear that due diligence was carried out and these two are not harmful,” he said.

The two detainees, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, who were in detention for 14 years after being linked with terrorist group Al-Qaeda, were brought to Ghana in 2016, for a period of two years, which expired on January 6, 2018.

The move was criticized by many observers including the then-in-opposition New Patriotic Party, who described the two as a security threat despite assurances to the contrary by the US.

The current Information Minister, Mustapha Abdul Hamid, at the time, argued that central to the Jihadi ideology is the assertion that a friend of your enemy is also your enemy, hence, though Ghana may have received them out of generosity, in the mind of a Jihadist, Ghana becomes a legitimate target for attacks.

He also said the government at the time was ignorant about radical Islam ideologies.

But after the change in power, the NPP government had a legitimate opportunity to send the two Yemeni packing.

The Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional, the agreement between the Mahama government and the United States and ordered the government to send the agreement to Parliament for ratification or have the two detainees sent back to the US.

When the time came, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, indicated in Parliament that the Akufo-Addo administration had not altered the formal agreement between Ghana and the United States over the two, thus keeping them in Ghana till the January 6, 2018, expiry date.

‘Give gov’t space to decide’

Mr. Ablakwa, who said he was “indifferent” as to whether the two should be allowed to stay or leave, said the NPP government should be given space to act on the matter.

“…I think the government would have to be accorded the respect that they ought to have to be taking the decision on our behalf. They can decide to engage in consultations. They can decide to bring it to Parliament at some point… The can decide to be consistent with their initial position when they were in opposition that the decision to receive them was not really a good one.”

Whatever the decision, he also expects the matter to make its way to Parliament following the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling.

“After the Supreme Court decision, the Executive no longer has a choice. Whatever they decide with the Americans, they would have to bring the agreement to Parliament for ratification,” Mr. Ablakwa stated.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Ministry is engaging with the US and will make any new developments on the matter public in the next couple of days, according to the Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘Peaceful’ Gitmo 2 have vindicated Mahama gov’t – Ablakwa appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The two detainees, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, who were in detention for 14 years after being linked with terrorist group Al-Qaeda, were brought to Ghana in 2016, for a period of two years.

[contextly_sidebar id=”gTD8TFI3eWRAiedW8KHzZ4tjO1ql8pcS”]They were released as part of efforts to close down the US-operated Guantanamo Bay prison, which is known to have had a questionable human rights record over the years.

The move was criticized by many observers including the then-in-opposition New Patriotic Party, who described the two as a security threat despite assurances to the contrary by the US.

Two citizens; Margaret Bamful and Henry Nana Boakye, further sued the former Attorney General and the Minister of Interior contending that the two were being hosted illegally.

The two were justified by the Supreme Court, which declared as unconstitutional the agreement between the Mahama government and the United States.

The apex court ordered the government to send the agreement to Parliament for ratification or have the two detainees sent back to the US.

According to the judgment, the Mahama government needed the approval of Parliament before entering into any international agreement, just as in the case of the two detainees.

When the matter came up for discussion in Parliament, the House was informed that the agreement that was reached under a note verbale and Memorandum of Understanding.

A note verbale is a piece of diplomatic correspondence prepared in the third person and unsigned.

Indications are that the two governments opted for a less formal mode of communication and agreement because of security considerations.

The President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, who was briefed ahead of Ghana’s decision to host two former Guantanamo Bay detainees said he felt the processes leading up to the move were necessary, despite their hosting being declared illegal.

A former Member of Parliament George Loh, who during his time Parliament, was privy to sensitive information on the matter, noted that due diligence, security-wise, was done on the matter and key stakeholders were briefed ahead of the transfer of the two Yemen nationals.

Mr. Loh continued to explain on a Citi News platform that, “some of the things are so security sensitive that you cannot come and run your mouth in the public domain. A lot of the things are done at a security level. American security will not put anything in writing and send formally for somebody to intercept and put out there.”

When the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, indicated in Parliament that Akufo-Addo administration had not altered the formal agreement between Ghana and the United States over the two, she had essentially confirmed that, the January 6, 2018, expiry date remained.

“Mr. Speaker, we have not changed anything. In the note verbale that were exchanged between the two countries. Indeed there was no agreement. The whole transaction was done through what we call a note verbale from both sides. What we have done is to attach all those documents.”

Possible stay after expiry

Per the statement released at the time from the then-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hanna Tetteh, on January 6, 2015, the government did not explicitly state that the former detainees would necessarily have to leave the country after the agreement expired.

The statement said the two may leave the country after the two year period, suggesting the decision was in their hands.

“At the request of the US Government, we have also agreed to accept two detainees of Yemeni origin who were detained in Guantanamo but who have been cleared of any involvement in any terrorist activities and are being released. They are unable to return to Yemen at the moment and we have indicated our readiness to accept them for a period of two years after which they may leave the country,” the statement said.

During their two year stay under the agreement, the US are said to have provided about $300,000 for the two Yemeni’s upkeep, which comes to about GHc 1,362,000.

In 2017, it emerged that Bin Atef had gotten married during his short stay in the country. Bin Atef’s wife, Haia, is a Yemeni national, and they are believed to have gotten married sometime in March 2017, according to his lawyer.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Deal for Gitmo 2 stay in Ghana expires appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchway on Tuesday informed Parliament, her Ministry and other stakeholders will work on an “exit plan” by the time their two-year stay in Ghana expires January 6, 2018.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Nsc5hTghy6GZ0JrcrwsmAcT37wvlI52i”]The treaty was approved based on a recommendation by the Foreign Affairs Committee for the two to be resettled because, amongst other reasons they were not a threat to the security of the country.

This position has drawn criticism from the Minority but speaking to Citi News, the Member of Parliament for Mampong in the Ashanti region intimated that government was on the right path with such a decision.

“I think the Minority is being a bit mischievous. The engagement with the US government is ongoing and we need to have this continuously, as to evaluate the whole arrangement from. By the time we get to January 2018, definitely, there will be a review of the situation and government would know the next step to take.”

According to the Former Deputy High Commissioner to India in the Kufuor regime indicated that the steps being taken by the government were in the right direction as dictated by the protocols of International relations.

Parliament on Tuesday 1st August ratified an agreement to allow the two Gitmo detainees stay in Ghana following a Supreme Court order. The court ruled that their stay in Ghana is unconstitutional without Parliament backing.

But a report presented to Parliament by the Foreign Affairs Committee said the two; Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby should be allowed to stay in the country because they posed no threat.

When the matter came up for discussion, the House was informed that the agreements reached were through a Note Verbale and Memorandum of Understanding.

–

By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t being proactive with US talks over Gitmo Two – MP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

A legal representative of Bin Atef, George Clark, revealed to Citi News’ Umaru Sanda that his client was down with the ailment, as he processes the judgment from the Supreme Court declaring his stay in Ghana illegal.

[contextly_sidebar id=”AzLoMtoDbRqHDKoad6dCP84I9paPEF7M”]”He is ill as well so it is a double problem,” George Clark said, as he also conveyed Bin Atef’s worry over the decision.

This notwithstanding, George Clark said he did not expect Bin Atef to be sent back to Yemen, which has been battered by civil strife since with the 2011–12 revolution against President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

More than 7,600 people are reported to have been killed and 42,000 injured since March 2015 alone.

“I am sure that he is worried about that. Repatriating him to Yemen would be contrary to international law because of the armed conflict in Yemen, so I don’t think that is going to happen,” the lawyer said.

The government continues to have a tight leash on Bin Atef, a situation George Clark also said was not the best for his client, who he said wants to be “able to work and be productive and things like that.”

The Yemeni has however been able to get married during his short stay in Ghana. Citi News has confirmed that his wife is named Haia, is also a Yemen national. They tied the knot about two and a half months ago, reportedly with close family in attendance.

Background

This worry could be traced back to the decision of two Ghanaian citizens to sue the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, together with the Minister of Interior, accusing then-President John Mahama of illegally bringing in the two former Guantanamo Bay detainees, without recourse to the laws of the land.

Bin Atef, along with one other, Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, was under detention in US custody for 14 years after being linked with terrorist group Al-Qaeda.

They were brought to Ghana in January 2016 to live here for a period as part of Obama administration’s plan to close down Guantanamo Bay prison.

Their stay in Ghana has been extremely low profile, in sharp contrast to the protests that met their arrival, with many saying their presence in Ghana opened the country up to terror attacks.

Both the US and Ghana governments did their best to calm fears of terror attacks upon their arrival, and in their only noted media appearance till date, one of the ex-detainees, indicated exitement at moving to Ghana their love for Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan.

He revealed that other inmates in Guantanamo supported Ghana during the 2010 World Cup, where Gyan famously scored the winner in a knock-out tie against the US.

“Ghanaians are very good people. We are very excited to come to Ghana because we know some of the things about Ghana. First of all there is Asamoah Gyan, we know him, we like him very much, not just us, most of our people like him,” they said.

–

By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ex Gitmo detainee Bin Atef down with malaria – Lawyer appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Supreme Court on Thursday declared as unconstitutional the hosting of the two detainees in Ghana. Parliament has therefore been asked to place the agreement before Parliament for ratification else the two could be repatriated within three months.

[contextly_sidebar id=”HDeHxxx1nmxLFornKcdnA794woBcWqDp”]Speaking to Citi News on the sidelines of a LECIAD round-table on emerging security threats in the sub region, Professor Mensa-Bonsu said the two Guantanamo detainees should be returned to the United States if Parliament disapproves their stay in the country.

“I have faith in our Parliament. They are the representatives of the people and they will also be given the full information and it is not every information that goes to Parliament that will be on the floor so the Foreign Affairs, the National Security, those committees that deal with those matters will get the full information even if the rest of us will not get it, and I have faith in our representative body that they will do the best for us, and if they say they will not ratify because it is not in the national interest, then we must send them back. Our national interest is a priority. Anything else is just a help, so if our representatives say no , the answer should be no.”

The two Guantanamo bay detainees , Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, who had been in detention for 14 years, after being linked with terrorist group Al-Qaeda were brought into the country by the Mahama administration.

Two Ghanaian citizens, Margaret Bamful and Henry Nana Boakye, subsequently sued the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, together with the Minister of Interior, accusing then-President John Mahama of illegally bringing in the two former Gitmo detainees, without recourse to the laws of the land.

The plaintiffs were seeking among other reliefs, a “declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the President of the Republic of Ghana acted unconstitutionally by agreeing to the transfer of Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby.”

–

By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Prioritize national interest in handling Gitmo 2 case – LECIAD appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Court, which gave the order today [Thursday], wants this done within the next three months.

[contextly_sidebar id=”fbSPUUhaiOU9UevjN9jr2LxNTLr3Dl9L”]The Court in its verdict declared as unconstitutional the hosting of the two by the then Mahama government.

According to the majority judgment read by Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, the then President, John Mahama, needed the approval of the Parliament before entering into any international agreement, just as in the case of the two detainees.

The decision had six justices approving it with Justice Wiliam Atuguba dissenting.

The two detainees, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, who were in detention for 14 years after being linked with terrorist group Al-Qaeda, were brought to Ghana in 2016, for a period, after which they were expected to be reintegrated in their home countries.

Background

Two Ghanaian citizens, Margaret Bamful and Henry Nana Boakye, sued the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, together with the Minister of Interior, accusing then-President John Mahama of illegally bringing in the two former Gitmo detainees, without recourse to the laws of the land.

The plaintiffs were seeking, among other reliefs, a “declaration that on a true and proper interpretation of Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the President of the Republic of Ghana acted unconstitutionally by agreeing to the transfer of Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby.”

Ex-Guantanamo detainees pose no security threat – US Embassy

Ghanaians said government’s decision to host the two was a threat to national security, but Government insisted the two men posed no threat.

In January 2016, the United States Embassy in Ghana, assured Ghanaians that the presence of the two former detainees, posed no threat to the security of the country.

“The two detainees that were transferred to Ghana have already arrived…we don’t have access to the specifics of their whereabouts, you have to go to the government of Ghana for that,” Public Affairs Counselor at the US Embassy in Ghana, Daniel Fennell said. The two Guantanamo bay detainees, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby, had been in detention for 14 years, after being linked with terrorist group Al-Qaeda.

–

By: Fred Djabanor/ citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gitmo 2 will be sent back to US in 3 months if… Supreme Court appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.