Police cautions Sammy Gyamfi, yet to be officially charged

• Posted on January 28, 2020January 28, 2020
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Ghana Police Service has explained that the Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi may face court action once investigations are concluded over his alleged involvement in cybercrime.

DSP Juliana Obeng,  Public Relations Officer at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Eyewitness News clarified that Mr. Gyamfi’s bail and conditions mean he has been cautioned and not charged.

“Mr. Sammy Gyamfi has been granted bail with two sureties. As we speak, he has not been charged, he has only been cautioned. He is still under investigations. He is on police inquiry bail. So once we are through with that, he may be charged and then processed for court,” she said.

Police in contempt

The Communications Director for the NDC, Kakra Essamuah had said the arrest of Sammy Gyamfi contravenes the orders of the court.

According to Mr. Essamuah, the arrest was tantamount to contempt, given that Sammy Gyamfi had earlier filed a suit at the High Court, barring the Police from arresting or interrogating him.

“Sammy Gyamfi filed a suit at the High Court in which he sought to injunct the Police from interrogating him but despite the tendency of that suit, Police went for him on Monday morning and they granted him bail. It has not been heard of.”

“The action of the Police is contempt. They are aware they deferred with the orders of the court and they are aware of the sort of remedies that they need to seek from the court and this act is intended to overreach the court and that is contempt,” he said.

Sammy Gyamfi’s offence

Sammy Gyamfi was arrested at the premises of Accra-based UTV at Abeka Junction on Monday, January 27, 2020.

According to the police, Sammy Gyamfi was cautioned for allegedly possessing “forged document and the publication of false news with the intent to cause fear and alarm contrary to section 166 and 208 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (ACT 29) respectively.”

He was later granted bail with two sureties – to be reporting once every week at the CID headquarters.

Arrest disappointing 

Moments after the arrest, Edudzi Tamakloe, lawyer for Sammy Gyamfi described the incident as unlawful and one that suppresses the rights of the his client.

“As you are aware, based on the instruction of Sammy Gyamfi, we caused a human rights applicati on to be filed. While an application is pending, an application for injunction was subsequently filed. I have personally followed up with a letter to the Police. I met the one in charge of cybercrime in his office and delivered the letter to him. He indicated to me he will consult the legal department and respond to me appropriately on the request that we made before the Police. From the time we sent the letter to the Police to date, the Ghana Police has never responded. That is the regrettable low that the Akufo-Addo administration has taken the law to.”

“They are yet to file a response to the human rights application and application for injunction…The Police itself is acting lawlessly…The Ghana Police is becoming pathetic. I am disappointed. When it comes to the rule of law, it is about all of us. When issues about respecting the rights of people come up…It is something that affects all”, he added.

-Citi