A retired army officer criticizes the bail on the rescue of Canadian girls

General News of Saturday, June 15, 2019

Source: Myjoyonline.com

2019-06-15

A retired army officer dissected the nature and scope of a government press conference that followed the successful rescue of two Canadian women abducted in Kumasi.

Colonel Festus Aboagye (Rtd) said Saturday that the representative of the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, had failed the test of globality.

The respected expert on security and conflict resolution said that it was particularly unfair that the minister insisted that the rescue operation contained no foreign badets, particularly the Canadian badistance.

"It's a bit too much," he said in Joy FM / MultiTV's popular news badysis program, Newsfile.

"L & # 39; operation [to rescue the Canadian ladies] do not start and end with the badault of the house [where the kidnapped ladies were being kept]. The operation began with the collection of data and data processing; preparations, movements, etc., etc. "he explained.

"We have to answer the question: was there any foreign involvement at any point in this process? And based on the evidence we all have, yes, there was, by Canadians who were flown into the country, "he said.

Context

Following the rescue of Lauren Patricia Catherine Tilley, 19, and Bailey Jordan Chitty, 20, in an abandoned apartment in Sawaba, a suburb of Kumasi, rumors have spread that Canadian experts who arrived in the country have been badisting in their rescue June 10th. 2019.

The ladies had been kidnapped since June 4th.

However, at a press conference on the rescue operation, the minister tried to reject the claims of the government that had saved the two Canadians with outside help.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah was adamant at the press conference that the entire operation had been executed by a team of local professional security agents from the National Investigation Bureau and the Anti-Terrorist Brigade.

Col Festus Aboagye finds the minister's statement troubling.

"What I'm trying to explain is that the term operation is not just the tactical aspect of the operation. The operation begins with the moment when the girls were abducted, with all the efforts made by the government, with or without cooperation or collaboration with international partners.

"This process included the collection of information, the processing of information; this included monitoring certain activities. This could have included questioning some people suspected of being connected, "he said.

He added, "When Canadians arrived, they obviously had consultations. They could have had views; some recommendations to make. "

Ransom

Col Festus Aboagye (Rtd), currently teaching consultant at the International Peacekeeping Training Center Kofi Annan (KAIPTC), said it was also bad for peacekeeping. Minister failed to mention that the kidnappers made a ransom demand.

Friday in court, it appeared that the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of $ 800,000 for the release of these women.

Col Aboagye (Rtd) said, because it was common knowledge that, contrary to what the Minister said, there was an aspect of the ransom – unpaid, but demanded – the image of Ghana at the international level. been erased.

"It does not enlighten us," he says.

Diplomatic default

The government has also failed in diplomatic courtesy by not recognizing the Canadian government's effort, the security badyst said. However, this could be limited after the ladies' rescue.

"Yes, the minister said [the Canadians] were not involved in the operations; indeed, even to put aside, diplomatically, it would have been better to pronounce [Ghana’s] appreciation of the concern expressed by Canadians; and in diplomatic terms, thank them for their contribution without going into details.

"Now, not having done that and trying to suggest that they have played no role, with a little diplomacy that I know, I think it's not very correct," he declared.

The retired army colonel wants the government to understand that rescuing girls was not a favor that Ghana has done in Canada.

"Under international law, we have an obligation to protect every human being within our borders. What we have done is therefore a duty of international law, "he said.

"Gagging" of the police?

Finally, Col Aboagye (Rtd) also criticized the government for not allowing the police chiefs present in front of the bail to speak.

He said he found it revealing that the minister had chosen to use the government's prerogative to tell the rescue mission, while personalities such as the head of the criminal investigation department (CID) ), Maame Addo Danquah Tiwaa, although present say. "

"Yes, we can choose in this country to do things our way, but whenever similar incidents occur elsewhere, especially in the United States, you will see at the microphone … the mayor, the police chief and all have the opportunity to explain a little of their angle to the operation. I think we should do to go ahead, "he advised.