Ayariga Fights Amidu Over Phone Call records; Asks MTN Not To Yield To Court Order
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has urged telecommunications company MTN not to yield to a court order to provide details of his phone call records to Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu, as he will challenge the Circuit Court order in court.
“I, however, think that in the interest of developing clarity on the law protecting the privacy of the communication of Ghanaian citizens on mobile telecommunications platforms, and setting proper precedents, the breath of the court order should be subjected to legal scrutiny. I have, therefore, instructed my lawyers accordingly.
“I believe that MTN is properly advised not to hastily yield to this clearly over-broad order in the interest of their customers. MTN must be seen to exhaust all legal challenges,” Mr Ayariga said on Thursday, 24 January 2019.
The court order issued on 22 January had requested MTN to provide call records between the MP and an officer of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The Office of the Special Prosecutor is investigating Mr Ayariga for corruption and abuse of office.
Mr Ayariga is alleged to have imported three Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles into the country under questionable circumstances.
It will be recalled that in August 2018, Mr Amidu reported Mr Ayariga to the Economic and Organised Crime Organisation (EOCO) for allegedly attempting to block his investigation on him.
Mr Amidu said at the time that the MP had sent chiefs, pastors and other persons of authority to persuade him to stop the investigations.
Below is Ayariga’s full statement:
I will contest Martin Amidu court order for my MTN call records – Mahama Ayariga
I, Mahama, Ayariga would have gladly personally handed my MTN call records to Mr Martin Amidu, if he had just asked me directly, so he will see that I have never placed a call to Mr Kwasi Gyimah-Asante’s phone. I still do not know who Kwasi Asante-Gyimah is.
I, however, think that in the interest of developing clarity on the law protecting the privacy of the communication of Ghanaian citizens on mobile telecommunications platforms, and setting proper precedents, the breath of the court order should be subjected to legal scrutiny. I have therefore instructed my lawyers accordingly.
I believe that MTN is properly advised not to hastily yield to this clearly over-broad order in the interest of their customers. MTN must be seen to exhaust all legal challenges.
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