The Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), Mensah Thompson, has stated that security agencies have the legal right to use reasonable force to arrest Rev. John Ntim Fordjour if he fails to cooperate with state institutions regarding serious allegations he recently made.
Rev. Fordjour, who serves as the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, had alleged that two suspicious flights landed at Kotoka International Airport under circumstances that suggested possible drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Simpieso political talk show hosted by Emmanuel Martey in Accra, Thompson emphasized that due to the strategic and sensitive nature of the allegations, the Member of Parliament cannot invoke parliamentary immunity to avoid accountability. He warned that spreading unsubstantiated claims without evidence undermines national security and tarnishes the state’s reputation.
“As a ranking member, it is his responsibility to act with integrity and caution. Public statements from someone in his position must be based on facts, not conjecture or misinformation that can destabilize the peace of the country,” Thompson added.
NIB Suspends Arrest Following Minority Leader’s Intervention
In a related development, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, National Coordinator of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), disclosed that the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) suspended a planned operation to arrest Rev. Fordjour following an appeal by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
Vanderpuye explained that Afenyo-Markin had assured National Security that he would personally present Rev. Fordjour to their office by 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 11. Based on this assurance, authorities agreed to call off the operation.
“What happened yesterday is not news. The Member of Parliament was not in Parliament at the time. The Speaker’s intervention is only required when there’s a formal invitation—not in the case of an arrest. Parliamentary privilege does not mean MPs are immune from arrest; it is merely a courtesy exercised through the Speaker,” Vanderpuye clarified.
He also criticized the actions of some Minority MPs who gathered at Fordjour’s residence during the attempted arrest, describing their presence as unnecessary and performative.
“What happened was pure drama. The Minority Leader had already agreed with government officials that he would present any of his members when needed. His plea was what caused the suspension of the operation. Otherwise, the MPs at the residence would have held an overnight vigil to block National Security from fulfilling its mandate. But because we are a listening government, we respected his request,” Vanderpuye said.
The attempted arrest stemmed from Rev. Fordjour’s recent allegations involving the suspicious aircraft landings. Security operatives from the NIB had moved to detain him at his residence before the Minority Leader’s intervention led to the operation being halted.
