National Security Coordinator, Colonel Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (retired), has denied reports that his outfit interfered with the judicial process, after some of his men stormed the Supreme Court on Thursday demanding keys to the registry.
This follows a directive by the Presiding Judge in the ongoing presidential election petition for the accounting firm, KPMG to audit pink sheets tendered in evidence, by the petitioners.
The action of national security has attracted widespread condemnation, but Col. Gbevlo-Lartey said on Newsfile Saturday that, the matter has been completely misconstrued.
He said as Coordinator of all security agencies in the country; his outfit has the mandate to act to preempt any unforeseen eventualities, especially regarding the hearing of the petition challenging the 2012 election results, which is a high profile case.
According to him, the team went there to hold discussions with the judiciary regarding what needed to be done “and the judiciary showed them what needed to be done. National security team are there doing what has to be done,” he said.
Earlier on the programme, Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako stated that, it was “terribly wrong” for personnel of the National Security to move to the Court “uninvited”, to offer assistance when the court had said they were satisfied with existing security arrangements.
“There was no need for duplication if the judicial system offers protection for the pink sheets,” Mr. Baako maintained.
Mr. Chris Akumey, a member of the governing National Democratic Congress’ legal team countered Kweku Baako, reinforcing Col. Gbevlo-Lartey’s position.
“There is nothing wrong with that [National Security] because, the laws allow that any citizen suspicious of a situation [crime], has every responsibility to act to prevent it.
“National Security is not for the NDC; it is for Ghanaians. Membership was drawn from the Ghanaian public, not from any political party,” Mr. Akumey said.
Source: GhanaWeb
