NPP demands apology from government over detention of Italians

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has demanded an apology from the government for what it called an unjustifiable maltreatment of three top Italian politicians who visited the country last week.

The party's Chairman, Mr. Samuel A. Odoi-Sykes, told journalists at a press conference that the three foreigners - Arnoldi Gianatonio, Moro Marcello and Bonomo Benedetto - all of an Italian opposition party, were subjected to about 14 hours of interrogation without food or water. Mr. Odoi-Sykes said the foreigners, who arrived on Wednesday last week, came to Ghana on "a private, legal, legitimate and open visit", which was promoted by the NPP, adding that their ordeal was masterminded by the government because of their association with leading members of the party. "There can be no doubt in anyone's mind that the three Italian gentlemen were humiliated in the manner they were, purely because they had visited the NPP and its flag bearer, Mr. J.A. Kufuor. It was a case of harassment, an attempt to intimidate friends of the NPP and the NPP itself," Mr. Odoi-Sykes said.

He added that the NPP has sent a letter of protest to the Minister of the Interior over the issue. He said the NPP is a serious party that is developing contacts and friendships with parties that share its liberal democratic principles and governance, as well as ideas on a market and private sector-led economy. "This network that the NPP is building up is what we will use to help the development and investment efforts when, God willing, we come to power," Mr. Odoi-Sykes stated. He said neither the party nor its friends would be deterred in any way from continuing to expand their links.

In a statement last Saturday, the Ghana Immigration Service said the Italians were picked up "following a general security alert" in the aftermath of a bomb threat at the La Palm Royal Hotel on Friday after a monitoring exercise at various hotels in the city. It said on arrival, the three Italians falsely stated on their disembarkation forms that they would be lodging at Novotel Hotel although they knew reservations had been made for them at Golden Tulip hotel. "Further investigations revealed that the three foreigners carried large amounts of dollars into the country, which they failed to declare to the Currency Control Unit of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service." The GIS said the three foreigners were also observed trailing the convoy of President Jerry John Rawlings between the Tetteh-Quarshie roundabout and the Castle, adding that they had admitted this during interrogation. However, the NPP Chairman dismissed the statement as being "all lies."