My Arrest Was Politically Motivated- Omari Wadie

Former Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Mr. Michael Omari-Wadie has stated that his arrest was politically motivated because he refused to join the National Democratic Congress (NDC). According to Mr. Omari-Wadie, he was asked to switch parties when President Mahama was made the Vice Presidential candidate of the party because of his relationship with his family but he declined. �The Mahamas are my friends. During the election, they asked me to switch because their brother was getting Vice Presidential position. After the election, they asked again, asking me to come and enjoy but I told them I was principled and would work for the NPP till my last breath,� he stated. Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News, Mr. Omari-Wadie also stated that his garage, where he sold cars in front of the Accra Girls Senior High School, was demolished to intimidate him. �They went to demolish my garage, where I sell my cars in front of Accra Girls Senior High School. Why did they do that? Political intimidation and harassment because they do not believe that you should work if you are not with them,� he said. He further stated that after he was accused of planting bombs at the transmission and production sites, and he came back from a trip abroad to find himself tagged with the story. �They said during the load shedding periods, I had gone to plant bombs at the transmission and production sites� I travelled and before I came back, they had created this story and tagged me with it. I can say it is just political harassment and degradation.� The former Chairman also added that after he was picked up at the airport, he was taken to the Bureau of National Investigations, stripped naked and kept in a mosquito infested room. �They stripped me naked and kept me in a hot, mosquito infested room where I spent the night.� There has been a circulation of pictures of President Mahama in a compromising position with an unknown woman on social networking sites. Reports indicate the BNI arrested Mr. Omari-Wadie they believe he allegedly played some role in the circulation of the said pictures. Mr. Omari-wade was released on bail after he was charged with offensive conduct. He is expected to present himself at the BNI on Wednesday, 29th May, 2013.