Dr Ekua Amoakoh, special aide to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has criticised the arrest of Dennis Miracles Aboagye by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), describing it as unnecessary and a breach of due process.

According to her, Mr Aboagye was not a flight risk and had already cooperated with EOCO by honouring invitations from the state investigative agency on two occasions before his arrest.

Dr Amoakoh, speaking in an interview with JoyNews' James Avedzi, said there was no justification for what she described as a “rambo-style” arrest of the former government communicator upon his return to Ghana.

She also questioned why EOCO would place Mr Aboagye on a stop list and arrest him at the point of entry if he had been cooperating with investigators.

“Dennis Miracles Aboagye is a well-known figure in this country. He’s obviously not a flight risk. There was no need for that Rambo-style arrest that he was subjected to upon his arrival into this country.

“He had already been invited by EOCO. He had honoured that invitation twice. So there was absolutely no need for him to have been picked up on Saturday for no interrogation to happen.

“If you’ve invited somebody twice, whatever investigation that you think you are conducting is ongoing, why do you then put him on a stop list and pick him up on his way back into the country like he was trying to abscond?” she questioned.

Dr Amoakoh alleged that the manner of the arrest was part of attempts by the government to intimidate members of the opposition.

She linked the development to Ghana’s political history, saying the situation was unsettling, especially for persons familiar with experiences under previous regimes.

“These kinds of arrests have been happening essentially since the NDC government took power. And if you are familiar with the history of this country and the kind of things that happened during the PNDC era, it’s a little unsettling.”

Her comments follow EOCO’s confirmation that Mr Aboagye was arrested over allegations of misappropriation involving about GH¢55 million.

However, Dr Amoakoh stressed that her concern was not about investigations into alleged wrongdoing but rather the manner in which the arrest was carried out.

She said individuals accused of wrongdoing must be allowed to have their rights protected, insisting that everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

“Nobody is saying that if some wrongdoing has been done, the right processes should not be adhered to. What we are talking about is the treatment he has received and the Rambo style.”

The NPP official also raised concerns about the period following Mr Aboagye’s arrest, claiming that his family and party leadership struggled to locate him and that his lawyers only gained access to him much later.

She further accused EOCO of adopting a pattern of arresting individuals, imposing strict bail conditions and failing to provide updates on investigations.