channel247 online
Senyo Amekplenu, a National Communications Team member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has criticised a statement issued by the United States Embassy regarding the detention of former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta, describing it as unnecessary and hypocritical.
Speaking in an interview on Channel 247’s Breakfast 247 with host Zipporah Osei Boatteng, Amekplenu questioned the urgency and relevance of the embassy’s public communication on the matter.
According to him, the embassy’s intervention amounted to “needless public relations,” arguing that similar public statements have not been issued in other cases involving detentions, particularly in the United States. He cited actions taken against immigrants during the second term of former US president Donald Trump, asking why comparable diplomatic statements were not made then.
Amekplenu further noted that Ghana’s Attorney-General had already confirmed ongoing engagement with US officials, making the embassy’s statement, in his view, redundant. He questioned what additional purpose the release served, especially when the government had acknowledged diplomatic contact.
Touching on the circumstances surrounding Ofori-Atta’s detention, the NPP communicator argued that requesting the presence of lawyers during an engagement should not be construed as an admission of guilt. He insisted that such a request is a constitutional right and should not attract negative inferences.
Amekplenu also accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of publicly declaring its intention to pursue Ofori-Atta aggressively, suggesting that the embassy’s statement risked reinforcing a narrative that was already prominent in the media.
He called for a focus on substantive issues rather than what he described as “hypocrisy and deception,” urging stakeholders to allow due process to take its course without unnecessary diplomatic commentary.
