A warning to Minority Leader- Attorney-General
By Mavis Paintsil, Accra
Attorney-General warns Minority Leader over ‘distorted’ security raid claims
By Mavis Paintsil, Accra
Attorney-General Dr Dominic Ayine has issued a stern warning to Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, accusing him of distorting facts regarding a recent security operation at the home of former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison.
Addressing a press briefing on Monday, March 24, 2025, Dr Ayine cautioned that parliamentary immunity should not be used as a shield for defamation, hinting at the possible release of a recorded conversation to counter opposition claims.
If the Minority Leader continues to misrepresent what happened, we will make the recording available. The law must be respected, and no one should abuse parliamentary immunity to defame public officials,” he said.
His remarks follow allegations by the opposition that the government orchestrated an unconstitutional raid on Dr Addison’s residence.
The operation, conducted on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, was reportedly carried out by armed National Security operatives, some of whom were masked and wielding guns. Witnesses say the officers overpowered private security personnel before searching the property.
Addressing the media on Thursday, March 20, Mr Afenyo-Markin condemned the search, describing it as “lawless” and an act of intimidation against former appointees of ex-President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration.
However, Dr Ayine dismissed the claims, insisting that the search was legally sanctioned and based on credible intelligence.
Recalling his own experience in 2017, when security personnel searched his residence, Dr Ayine said such operations were standard law enforcement procedures and should not be politicised.
“Policemen came to my house with guns in July 2017. I didn’t call a press conference to claim my house was raided. They showed me a warrant. So why is it now being portrayed as a raid when it followed the same legal process?” he questioned.
He reiterated that no one, regardless of their political standing, was above the law.
Dr Ayine also rejected allegations that security operatives stole GHS 10,000 during the search, calling the accusation an insult to national security officers.
There was nothing illegal or unconstitutional about what we did, yet they are choosing to undermine me and the operatives of National Security. These accusations are simply unfounded,” he said.
He further argued that parliamentary immunity did not grant MPs the right to make defamatory statements for political expediency.
“The constitutional immunity granted to MPs does not mean they should abuse that privilege to defame public officials conducting lawful duties,” he added.
On claims that security operatives confiscated CCTV cameras, Dr Ayine clarified that only the hard drive containing recorded footage was taken for investigative purposes.
“The hard drive stores the recorded footage, making it essential for any investigation. We did not remove cameras; we only retrieved the memory device, which is standard investigative practice,” he explained.
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