The Accra High Court has dismissed an application by the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, which was seeking to halt his ongoing trial.
Mr Ampofo had wanted the court to put the trial in which he had been accused of inciting violence against some public officials on hold until the Court of Appeal determines his appeal challenging the use of the first prosecution’s witness statement as evidence in the trial.
However, in a ruling today, (Wednesday), the court, presided over by Justice Samuel Asiedu, held that lawyers for Ampofo failed to prove any exceptional circumstances which should warrant a halt in the trial.
Ofosu Ampofo, the National Chairman of the opposition NDC and Anthony Kweku Boahen, a Deputy Communications Officer of the party, are standing trial over a leaked tape in which they were allegedly heard inciting violence against the leadership of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the National Peace Council (NPC).
The two have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit assault against a public officer, while Ofosu Ampofo has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault against a public officer.
According to the prosecution’s facts, following the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election debacle on January 31, 2019, Ofosu Ampofo met with some NDC communicators on February 3, 2019.
The facts explained that at the said meeting, Ofosu Ampofo and Boahen set out a road map of criminal activities, including violence against the EC Chairperson, Mrs Jean Mensa, and the Chairman of the NPC, the Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante.
It said an audio recording of the said meeting was leaked, leading to investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service into the comments on the tape.
The prosecution added that on February 20, 2019, Boahen granted a radio interview in which he confirmed his participation in the meeting and also revealed that the leaked audio recording was a true reflection of what had transpired at the February 3, 2019 meeting.
Source:Fiilafmonline/Graphic
