Protest Greets Tagor

The release of Kwabena Amaning, alias Tagor, and Alhaji Isaah Abass from prison after they were cleared of drug charges by an Appeals Court in Accra, has elicited mixed reactions from Ghanaians, and while some are hailing the decision of the courts, others are fuming at it. A political pressure group, the Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF), on Tuesday issued a press statement which read political maneuverings into the release and called on the President John Atta Mills and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the matter. The group expressed misgivings that during a press conference that was held on April 14 to mark the first 100 days of the Mills Presidency, Alhaji Bature, a known member of the ruling National democratic Congress (NDC), called on the President to facilitate the release of the two on grounds that they were not guilty of the charges preferred against them . �We find it most unfortunate that three months after such a call, these persons have been released�we are calling on the President and CHRAJ to investigate claims that the released persons were major contributors to the NDC campaign in 2008 and that their release was as result of their political bargain,� the statement added. The statement, signed by Richard Nyamah, spokesperson for PNF, noted that as much as the group would want to celebrate with the released persons and their families, there was the �need for these ancillary matters to be resolved by a public institution to set the facts straight and to protect the public image of the President, Ghana�s soaring image and the integrity of the judiciary�. PNF claimed that the successes chalked by Ghana in her democratic governance were being eroded by the drug menace. The group thus expressed the view that the Presidency and CHRAJ should act on the matter and clear the doubts in the minds of persons.