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Press Release
NPP
11th January, 2015
No: NPP00300
NPP DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY
FROM
GOVERNMENT OVER GUANTANAMO DETAINEES
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) shares the deep anxiety and
fears of the Ghanaian people over the resettlement of the
two former Guantanamo terrorist detainees - Mahmud Umar
Muhammed Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammed Salih Al-Dhuby-in
Ghana.
We are concerned that the decision was made without any
consultation whatsoever with Parliament, political parties
and other stakeholders.
The conduct of the Government raises a number of important
questions and we join the Ghanaian people in demanding
answers to the following pertinent questions in the spirit
of full disclosure.
1. What foreign policy considerations went into the decision
to resettle the detainees?
2. Why was the agreement to resettle the detainees in Ghana
shrouded in secrecy?
3. Why was Parliament not informed, especially since the
issue touches on and concerns terrorism and national
security?
4. Why has Government chosen to ignore the relevant
provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act (Act 762) which clearly
frowns on the admission of suspected terrorists into Ghana?
Section 35(1) of Act 762 states as follows:
"The director of immigration or an officer authorised by the
director shall not grant an endorsement or authority to
permit a person to enter this country if there is reasonable
ground to suspect that the person IS, WILL OR HAS BEEN
INVOLVED IN THE COMMISSION OF A TERRORIST ACT!"
5. Why has the Government not disclosed the terms of
agreement, nature and full extent of the consideration
received in exchange for resettling the detainees?
6. Why is the Government hiding the true violent and
dangerous profiles of the two detainees, as disclosed in
official US Government information portals, from the
Ghanaian people?
7. Why is Government straining to paint a picture of the two
detainees as harmless misunderstood and wrongly detained
persons?
8. Why did Government smuggle the detainees into Ghana only
to give the impression that they were yet to arrive? It
cannot be in the interest of good governance that such
critical matters should be agreed to by Government on the
blind side of the people in whose midst these former
terrorist detainees are
supposed to live. The proverbial Ghanaian hospitality should
not be put at such risk.
…Signed…
John Boadu
GENERAL SECRETARY (AG)
NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY
Headquarters, Private Mail Bag, Accra-North, Ghana
Tel: +233 0302 264329/264288Fax: +233 0302 229 048
DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM Email: nppdcom@gmail.comWebsite:
www.newpatrioticparty.org
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