The conduct and professionalism of Ghana's intelligence bureau have been called into question following threatening comments made by panelists on an Accra radio station Montie FM.
One after the other, a panel on Joy FM's flagship political discussion program, Newsfile, berated the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for issuing a statement on the Montie FM saga, a statement some critics describe as political and lacking tact and professionalism.
The only member of the panel who was lenient with the BNI was Employment Minister Haruna Iddrisu. He was yet to read the full details of the content of the statement issued by the BNI.
Background
On June 29, 2016, two panelists on Montie FM, Messers Allistair Nelson and Godwin Ako-Gunn made the headlines with a threat to kill Supreme Court judges sitting on a crucial Voter's Register case brought before them by PNC's Abu Ramadan and one Evans Nimako.
Their comments, which were made a day to the 34th Anniversary of Martyrs Day to mark the abduction and killing of judges in 1982, were roundly condemned by many well meaning individuals, organisations and government.
The BNI after investigating the threat to kill comments issued a statement part of which said the two were only engaging in "needless bravado" and that they were "incapable of killing the judges"
"At the interrogation, the two suspects admitted making those statements and acknowledged that their remarks were regrettable and unfortunate. Further checks by the BNI have however established that the suspects were incapable of carrying out pronouncements but did so in a show of needless bravado," the statement said.
The BNI further went ahead to advice the media to desist from using intemperate language.
But for a contempt charge currently pending at the Supreme Court, which the two panelists, including the host of the show and owner of the station have to answer to, Allistair Nelson and Ako-Gunn would have walked despite the criminal nature of their comments.
Discussing the matter on Newsfile, Editor in Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Spokesperson of NPP flagbearer, Yaw Buabeng Asamoah and Clara Kasser Tee, a law lecturer took turns to indict the BNI's conduct and statement.
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