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Lawyers to sue BNI over Fadi Dabbousi’s detention

By CitiFMonline
Headlines Lawyers to sue BNI over Fadi Dabbousis detention
SEP 25, 2016 LISTEN

Lawyers of Fadi Samih Dabbousi, have indicated that they will take legal action against the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI),  for the what they call “unlawful” detention of their client.

The Ghanaian writer and journalist, was reportedly arrested at the Kotoka International Airport last Friday for allegedly publishing a book which critics say contains offensive comments about  President John Mahama.

Subsequently, the BNI is said to have ransacked his home.

Lead Counsel for Mr. Dabbousi, Hassan Tampoli, told Citi News he has been denied access to his client for the past forty-eight hours.

“He has not been released. I have not been given access to him. They won't let me see him, they won't let me talk to him. They won't give me any update about his condition. They simply are holding him incommunicado. They will not even tell him what exactly is his offence. They won't tell me who the complainant is; and they will not tell me the offence for which reason they are still holding him custody. We shall approach the court with a writ of habeaus corpus for the court to compel the BNI to release him …”

The BNI is yet to give reasons for Mr. Dabbousi’s arrest; but critics say his arrest is politically motivated.

Dabbousi is the author of the book ’59 years to nowhere! The future is now!’

BNI returns Dabbousi’s books
Meanwhile according to Accra-based Joy FM, the BNI has retured copies of the books reported to have been seized Dabbousi’s residence.

His lawyer, Hassan Tampoli said on Sunday at about 5:45 am, operatives of the BNI returned to the residence of Mr. Fadi without a search warrant but they were given access to the property.

“All they did this morning was to return all the copies of the book they took away although they still have in their possession the diary, pen drives and other valuables that they took away,” he said.

Meanwhile, a  pro opposition group calling itself Ghana Must Know, has threatened to stage a mass action at the premises of the BNI, if it fails to release Mr. Dabbousi by midnight of Sunday.

“We are occupying BNI as early as 5:00am to demand the release of our brother. We are not going to do anything that will breach the peace of this country. We are only going there to demand for his immediate release. If they are not doing that, then maybe it will follow with a mass demonstration across the country,” Convener of Ghana Must Know, Hopeson Adorye told Citi News.

The BNI has often been criticized for acting arbitrarily without recourse to the law.

The state intelligence agency, has often been viewed as a tool used by every incumbent government to harass its critics.


By: Caleb Kudah & Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

 

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