Do not give my phone records to Amidu ', I'll challenge him in court – Ayariga to MTN

General News on Thursday, January 24, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-01-24

Bawku Central MP Mahama Ayariga said he would challenge a court order sent to telecommunications giant MTN Ghana to make his phone records available to special prosecutor Martin Amidu.

A circuit court in Accra ordered MTN's general manager to produce telephone records of Mahama Ayariga and an agent of Ghana's tax authority to the special prosecutor.

The court gave the order to Amidu 's request.

Mr. Amidu had informed the court presided over by Ms. Ruby Naa Adjeley-Quayson that the Special Prosecutor's Office had already obtained the order to have a forensic report made on three mobile phone numbers of the Director General of the Department of Public Prosecutions. criminal investigations of the Prosecutor. Ghana Police Service.

Accordingly, the presiding judge issued the order and requested MTN to produce the said telephone records dated December 1, 2018, to January 6, 2019.

In a statement released Thursday, Ayariga said that he would gladly have produced the discs if Amidu had asked directly, but that he had decided to challenge the order.

"Me, Mahama, Ayariga, I would gladly have personally handed over my MTN statements to Mr. Martin Amidu, if he had just asked me directly. He will see that I have never called Mr. Kwasi Gyimah-Asante's phone. I still do not know who is Kwasi Asante-Gyimah. "

"However, I think that in order to clarify the law protecting the privacy of Ghanaian citizens' communications on mobile telecommunications platforms and to create appropriate precedents, the breath of the court decision should be subject to legal control . I have informed my lawyers accordingly, "he said in a statement.

In his statement, Ayariga urged MTN not to give way hastily, but to exhaust all possible legal means to protect the interests of its customers.

"I think it's wise to advise MTN not to give up in a hurry to this clearly overbroad order, in the interest of its customers. MTN must be seen as exhausting all legal challenges, "he added.

Why is the special prosecutor investigating Ayariga?

The special prosecutor is investigating the Central Bawku M, suspected of corruption and abuse of his office.

Ayariga reportedly imported three Toyota Land Cruiser V8s into the country, according to a statement from the special prosecutor, Martin Amidu, previewed by citinewsroom.com.

"After opening preliminary inquiries into the alleged charges of corruption and corruption-related offenses, including the abuse of public office for personal gain by the Honorable Mahama Ayariga, Member of Parliament for the constituency Central Bawku, my office decided that there were enough reasons to invite the suspect for the conduct of thorough investigations into the allegations, "the statement said.

"The suspect was suspected of having imported to Ghana through corrupt means and activities related to the bribery of three occasional white Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles, using a parliamentary resolution dated April 7, 2017 which pbaded for a center of 322 500 000 US dollars between the Parliamentary Service and the Society. General Bank for the purchase of a new official vehicle for each of the 275 members of Parliament. "

"Since the investigation division of my office was being set up, I invited the Bureau of Economic and Organized Crime to conduct a joint investigation into alleged violations with my office, as allowed the Settlements Act, "Amidu says.

Amidu reports Ayariga to EOCO

The statement stated that Mr. Amidu had reported Mr. Ayariga to the Organization for Combating Organized and Organized Crime (EOCO) for attempting to obstruct his investigation.

Mr. Ayariga is said to have sent personal friends, former colleagues, chiefs, pastors, among others, to plead with Mr. Amidu on his behalf.

This despite the warnings of Mr. Amidu.

"I have asked EOCO repeatedly to warn the suspect to refrain from obstructing the investigation by asking others to put pressure on them." on me so that I cancel it without result … .I have accordingly EOCO must investigate my complaint against the suspect for having hindered me, the special attorney, in the exercise of his functions as a special prosecutor, "the statement said.

Below the complete statement of Ayariga

I will challenge the Martin Amidu court order for my MTN call registrations – Mahama Ayariga

Mahama, Ayariga, I would gladly personally give my MTN call recordings to Mr. Martin Amidu, if he had just asked me directly. He will see that I have never called Mr. Kwasi Gyimah-Asante's phone. I still do not know who is Kwasi Asante-Gyimah.

However, I believe that, in the interest of clarifying the law protecting the privacy of Ghanaian citizens' communications on mobile telecommunications platforms and creating appropriate precedents, the breath of the court decision should be subject to legal control. I have therefore instructed my lawyers accordingly.

I think it's wise to advise MTN not to hastily give in to this clearly overbroad order in the interest of its customers. MTN must be seen as exhausting all legal challenges.

L & # 39; Hon. Mahama Ayariga

Member of Parliament, Bawku Central