Richard Ahiagbah, the National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has strongly criticized the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, for the arrest of Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP).
Mr Nkansah was apprehended on January 10, 2024, over allegations of using NEIP funds for campaigning ahead of the NPP parliamentary primaries.
While Nkansah was taken into custody and later released, Ahiagbah expressed his disapproval of the Special Prosecutor's approach in an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on January 11, 2024. He labelled Agyebeng's actions as ‘populist' and advised a more civil and democratic method when handling arrests related to corruption.
“I think that the Special Prosecutor is working; we want him to work. I support him to work, but he needs to sanitize his approach a little bit. The days when these kinds of siege attacks and the rest of them happened are in the past. It's a democracy; invite the gentleman; he will come,” Ahiagbah stated.
Emphasizing the need for a more measured approach, Ahiagbah cautioned against creating unnecessary public spectacle during investigations.
He highlighted that the perception generated by such arrests can be detrimental to individuals and the country as a whole.
“We will encourage all the institutions to work. But they must understand that they need to sanitize their approach so they don't create a public spectacle. The appearance of something that has happened, which perhaps may not be of that magnitude. The process of the invitation will generate for the public creates a very negative public perception of the individuals and the process.”
Despite expressing satisfaction that the issue has been resolved among the involved parties, Ahiagbah urged the Special Prosecutor to reconsider the methodology employed in executing his duties. The NPP Communications Director stressed the importance of maintaining a positive public image and avoiding unnecessary sensationalism in the handling of corruption-related cases.