Why Ghana authorities arrest opposition NPP spokesperson Denis 'Miracles' Aboagye

Di economic and organised crime office (Eoco) don confam di arrest of opposition new patriotic party (NPP) communication officer Denis 'Mircales" Aboagye.

Dis dey happun afta party supporters gather for di Eoco to demand di release of dia party member.

According to di party tok-tok pipo, di law enforcement agency pick up Denis Aboagye when im return from one trip to di US for di airport on Saturday night.

Ghana law provide say security agencies gatz put any suspect bifor court or grant dem bail bifor 48 hours afta di arrest.

Members of di opposition NPP allege say Eoco deny Denis Aboagye access to im lawyers and family since di Saturday night arrest.

But inside di statement wey Eoco release on Monday, dem tok say dem dey investigate di spokesperson of di ex-Vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, sake of alleged financial and procurement irregularities for di Inter-Ministerial coordinating committee on decentralisation (IMCCoD).

Eoco say dem go soon grant am bail as dem dey kontinu dia investigation.

Details of suspected offenses

According to di economic and organized crime office (Eoco), di arrest follow "extensive investigations afta Eoco receive one petition from di current executive secretary of di Inter-Ministerial coordinating committee on decentralisation (IMCCoD), wey ask di office for further investigation afta one forensic audit of di committee from 1 August 2022 to 2 February 2025."

"Di investigation begin last year wey concern suspected misappropriation, diversion and theft of public funds wey amount to about Ghc 55m," Eoco explain for dia statement.

Di law enforcement agency add say Denis Aboagye togeda wit di accountant of di committee Gerald Appiah and odas dey under investigation for suspected offences wey include;

Money laundering and oda suspected offences.

According to Eoco, di accountant Gerald Appiah "voluntarily begin to refund some of di moni wey dey connected to di crimes under investigation."

"Dis recovery no dey mean say investigations don end, wey e neva also mean say di suspect dey free of any crime."

Eoco explain say di suspect wey dem arrest (Denis Aboagye) bin dey aware of di investigation wey im already visit dia office.

"Eoco begin operational plan to arrest di suspect this week as part of di investigation wey we put am on stop order to prevent sudden travel wey fit affect di investigation, but we bin find out say im already comot di kontri."

Eoco say dem now decide to arrest Denis Aboagye when im return for di Accra International Airport.

"Immigration officers execute di stop order wey dem hand am ova to Eoco wey accompany am go im house to search di place on Sunday; di search dey expected to continue today."

On di mata of whether dem go grant di NPP spokesperson bail bifor di 48-hour window, Eoco say dem go do am according to law.

"Eoco confam say we go grant am bail in accordance wit di constitution, na so di former accountant Gerald Appiah also dey expected to complete im bail conditions on Monday, wey we go release am while investigations dey continue."

Leadership of di opposition NPP condemn di arrest of dia communication officer wey dem demand say make Eoco release am since im no be fugitive.

"Dis arrest of opposition members by di govment to silence us no go work. We dey kontri wit laws, no be banana republic. Make Eoco no continue to do dis tins. Dis clearly be political persecution," Jerry Ahmed Shaib wey be NPP lawmaker, tok journalists when im visit Eoco premises.

But Eoco say dem dey committed to do dia work "professionally, impartially and strictly within di law."

Who be Denis 'Miracles' Aboagye

Di 41-year-old politician and former presidential staffer under di ex-president Nana Akufo-Addo be one of di loud opposition voices wey dey criticise di current govment and dia policies.

Denis serve as staffer responsible for local govment and executive secretary for di inter-ministerial coordinating committee on decentralization.

Ahead of di elections, Denis bin serve as spokesperson for 2024 presidential candidate of di NPP, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, wey im still be tok-tok pesin for di former veep.

For im party, im be one of one di leading communication team members wey im announce say im wan stand for di position of communication director.

Im don serve for di party from polling station level to constituency youth organiser and eventually municipal chief executive for Akuapem North.

Denis 'Miracles" Aboagye work for sales and marketing industry for ova 10 years, di 41-year-old also bin work for di pension industry.

For di last few weeks, Denis bin bash di govment ova corruption, illegal mining 'galamsey' and oda policies wey im say di current govment no dey manage di kontri well.