A leading member of the National Democratic Congress, Dr. Tony Aidoo has lashed out at the actions of the opposition NPP during the 12 hour interrogation of ex-chief of staff, Kwadwo Mpiani by the Bureau of National Investigation on Tuesday. Ex-ministers numbering over 200 together with supporters of the party besieged the Headquarters of the BNI, demanding the whereabouts of Mr. Mpiani who they said had been “smuggled” out of the place. Kwabena Agyapong, ex-spokesperson to President John Agyekum Kufuor in an interview with Citi News said Mpiani was under no obligation to heed to the calls of the BNI and would rather the ex-chief of Staff dealt with the courts than the investigative body. “I did not even understand why the chief of staff responded to their invitation. If they invite me, I will write to them I will not respond, if they have anything against me Agyapong they can meet me in court. I am not by any compulsion; none of us can be compelled to cooperate with investigation.” He alleged Mpiani’s encounter with the BNI was an orchestrated attempt to cow the opposition into submission and to return the country into the dark ages of oppression under the PNDC, and warned the NPP was ready to “face them squarely.” But Dr. Tony Aidoo vehemently disagrees. He said Mr. Mpiani is not above the laws of the country, adding the Rawlings in the recent past was invited by the same BNI, and he obliged. “Former president Rawlings, the head of state was invited by the BNI. He went. He stayed there for more than five hours,” Dr Aidoo said. He could not understand why Mr. Agyapong and by extension Mr. Mpiani will complain about the length of time the latter was interrogated. He said in the case of ET Mensah, former Sports Minister under the Rawlings-led administration like most of the former functionaries of the NDC, was hauled to the BNI and spent 50 hours, all in the name of interrogation. “This kind of talk and behavior are so unfortunate, because they are reprehensible. “The message the NPP is sending is that they are above the law,” he said. He was not ready to justify the treatment meted out to Mr. Mpiani but said the NPP cannot claim to be ignorant of the methods used by the BNI when they presided over eight years of intimidation. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline