'The elephant will never forget what you’re doing to Miracles Aboagye today' — NPP cautions NDC over
Former Member of Parliament for Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfro, Sylvester Tetteh, has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of using state institutions to intimidate political opponents following the arrest of former Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCoD) Executive Secretary, Dennis Edward Aboagye, popularly known as "Miracles."
Commenting on the arrest, Mr Tetteh warned the governing party not to underestimate the resolve of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), saying the party would not forget what he described as politically motivated actions against its members.
Referring to the NPP's elephant symbol, he remarked that "the elephant never forgets," insisting that the opposition would remember what he characterised as attempts to suppress dissenting voices.
Mr Tetteh alleged that the government had been using institutions such as the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to target opposition figures since President John Dramani Mahama assumed office on January 7, 2025.
According to him, journalists had repeatedly covered similar arrests and investigations at EOCO's offices, but many of those cases had not resulted in any known conclusions.
Questioning the basis of the allegations against Mr Aboagye, Mr Tetteh argued that the former IMCCoD Executive Secretary did not have the authority to award contracts or sign cheques.
"These allegations have been levelled against him as a coordinator. No contract was awarded under his tenure, he never signed a cheque, and the World Bank has not issued any report indicating that funds connected to its project were lost. So what is the basis of these allegations?" he asked.
He further claimed that the arrest was politically motivated and linked to Mr Aboagye's decision to contest for a national executive position within the NPP.
"The day Miracles declared his intention to contest for a national officer position in the party was the day they decided they would arrest him," he alleged.
Mr Tetteh maintained that the government would not succeed in silencing critics.
"The NDC government can never silence the decent voices of this country," he said, adding that the NPP had overcome political challenges in the past and would continue to resist what he described as intimidation.
He also expressed confidence that Mr Aboagye's detention would be temporary, declaring that "Miracles will not be here forever."
The former legislator criticised EOCO's handling of the investigation, arguing that if investigators required Mr Aboagye's cooperation, he should have been invited to assist with inquiries in the presence of his legal representatives rather than being arrested.
He stressed that EOCO was an investigative body and not a court of law, noting that questions of guilt or innocence could only be determined by the courts.
Mr Tetteh also directed criticism at EOCO Chief Executive Officer Raymond Archer, saying the institution existed before its current leadership and would continue long after individual office holders had left.
"Raymond Archer must know EOCO existed long before he was born and will continue to exist after him. Every public officer is transient. Power is transient," he said.
He further alleged that the agency could impose difficult bail conditions to prolong Mr Aboagye's detention, but expressed confidence that he would eventually regain his freedom with the support of party members who, he said, remained committed to democratic principles.
Concluding his remarks, Mr Tetteh warned that the arrest of one individual would not silence the opposition.
"You cannot intimidate the NPP. You cannot intimidate the elephant. There are thousands of Miracles out there who will continue to speak," he stated.