Three Ghanaian Citizens write to Canadian High Commission on Serwaa Broni

Three Ghanaian citizens, Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese, Elikem Kotoko and Stephen Kwabena Attuh have today sent a request to the Canadian High Commission asking for copies of reports of any possible investigations carried by the Commission on the alleged robbery attack on one Miss Evelyn Aidoo alias Serwaa Broni who on several occasions stated that she is a citizen of Canada.

According to the three, their request is hinged on the need to pursue an impeachment petition against President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo which was submitted to Parliament on the 21st of April, 2022. According to them, any such reports in the possession of the Canadian High Commission, would provide additional materials that would support their petition taking cognisance of the fact that the matter brought before the police under the investigations of Mrs. Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah who was then the Head of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service was swept under the carpet.

The Three, earlier submitted a petition to the Speaker of Parliament demanding an inquiry into allegations by the said Evelyn Aidoo to the effect that the National Security under the operations of Mr. Hopeson Adorye who was then the Deputy National Security Coordinator in charge of the Airport staged an armed robbery attack on her with the tacit approval of the President who functions as Chairman of the National Security Council, to retrieve alleged nude pictures of the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from her phone and other electronic gadgets.

The request notes that the Canadian High Commission could not be drawn into meddling in the internal security matters and politics of Ghana. They however note that they are informed by the obligations of the High Commission to its citizen, Evelyn Aidoo (Serwaa Broni). The statement says “We are minded by your obligations as a Mission representing your country, Canada, as per International Law. We are therefore not inviting you to meddle in the internal security matters and politics of Ghana, but to strictly execute your mandate within the remits of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and Vienna Convention of Consular Relations of 1963”.

It is the position of the Three Citizens that any relevant reports that may have been compiled by the High Commission on the reported attacks on Miss Serwaa Broni would serve the people of Ghana a better interest as well as aid Parliament in its inquiry in relation to the petition pending before Parliament.

Read full request letter attached:

Postal, CT 3786

Cantonments, Accra-Ghana

Email: [email protected]

 

16^th May, 2022

 

The Head of Mission

Canadian High Commission

North-Ridge, Accra-Ghana

 

Your Excellency,

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE ON ALLEGED HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES OF A CANADIAN CITIZEN (MISS EVELYN AIDOO)  IN GHANA BY THE NATIONAL SECURITY OPERATIVES OF GHANA.

In pursuance of our pending petition to the Parliament of Ghana, in which we, The Three Citizens of Ghana, Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese, Elikem Kotoko and Stephen Kwabena Attuh, invoked the authority of the Parliament of Ghana, to initiate an impeachment proceeding against the President of Ghana, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for breaching his oath of office, by using state power to violate the rights of a Canadian who doubles as a Ghanaian by birth, we wish to solicit for information from your High Commission and assistance to take further action(s).

It is recalled that, on the 21^st of April, 2022, we, the undersigned submitted a petition to the Parliament of Ghana to initiate impeachment proceeding against the President of Ghana, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for allegedly using national security operatives to violate the rights of one Miss Evelyn Aidoo alias Serwaa Broni, a Canadian citizen. Miss Evelyn Aidoo alleged that one Hopeson Adorye, a former Deputy National Security Coordinator in charge of the Airport, was used by the President of Ghana, to stage an armed robbery attack on her, during which her rights to privacy and other related liberties were grossly violated. An allegation Mr. Hopeson Adorye flatly denied in a subsequent interview on Kofi TV, an online TV program (Follow link for full interview: https://fb.watch/cwOHGYRmoF/).

Subsequent to this, Miss Evelyn Aidoo on 17^th April, 2022, granted an interview to Loud Silence Media, which is owned and operated by one Kevin Ekow Baidoo Taylor an American-based Ghanaian Journalist ((Follow link for full interview: https://fb.watch/cwOsMTLqXz/). In that interview, Miss Evelyn Aidoo produced an audio recording purported to have been recorded at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters at the instance of the then head of CID, Maame Yaa Tiwa Addo-Danquah (Follow Link for specific recording between 1:25:15 and 1:34:23: https://fb.watch/cwPg30pWa2/). In that audio, a voice purported to be that of Hopeson Adorye was heard admitting that he indeed went for the keys to the hotel room of Miss Evelyn; an allegation he flatly denied earlier on Kofi TV as submitted above. This admission, if proven to be his voice, is in sharp contrast to his (Mr. Hopeson Adorye’s) earlier denial on same subject matter.

Drawing close inference from these incidents, we can conclude that, the said acts of armed robbery attack staged by Mr. Hopeson Adorye was a grand scheme executed by his National Security outfit, which the President of Ghana chairs. We can further draw inference from these attacks to be in response to Miss Evelyn’s threat to release videos and pictures of herself and President Akufo-Addo in compromised positions.

We are minded by your obligations as a Mission representing your country, Canada, as per International Law. We are therefore not inviting you to meddle in the internal security matters and politics of Ghana, but to strictly execute your mandate within the remits of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and Vienna Convention of Consular Relations of 1963.

Ghana and Canada are both signatories to the two conventions and same have been domesticated by Ghana in the Ghana Diplomatic Immunities Act, 1962 (Act 148). In this Act, Ghana has accepted in whole, the provisions of the two International Conventions.

We wish to avert your mind to some of the provisions of the two International Conventions, your Excellency:

Article 3 of the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations provides for the functions of the Mission; sub clause 1 provides thus;

the functions of the Diplomatic Mission consist, inter alia, in:

• Representing the sending State in the receiving State;
• Protecting in the receiving State the interests of the sending State and of its nationals, within the limits permitted by International Law;

Reading 1(a) and (b) above together from a non-legalistic point, we roundly infer that, the Canadian High Commission in Ghana is not only representing Canada and her interest but, also representing the interest of Canadians within the territory of Ghana. These nationals can be permanent residents or temporary residents.

Miss Evelyn Aidoo alias Serwaa Broni is a citizen of Canada per her video statements on Social Media. It is our understanding that her temporary stay in Ghana in (the period she stayed in Ghana) qualifies her to enjoy any such rights as Canadians will enjoy, including protecting her, her rights, interest and properties as per the letter and spirit of 1(b) of Article 3 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961.

We further refer Your Excellency to article 5 of the Vienna Conventions on Consular Relations. Article 5(i) provides thus:

subject to the practices and procedures obtaining in receiving State, representing or arranging appropriate representation for nationals of the sending State before the tribunals and other authorities of the receiving State, for the purpose of obtaining, in accordance with the laws and regulations of the receiving State, provisional measures for the preservation of the rights and interests of these nationals, where, because of absence or any other reason, such nationals are unable at the proper time to assume the defence of their rights and interests.

As per the above provision in article 5(i) of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963, the consular at the High Commission is enjoined to make provisions for the representation of nationals at tribunals and other such state authorities for the purposes of defending their rights and interests.

In reference to the submissions of Miss Aidoo on the 17^th of April, 2022 on Loud silence TV, and the subsequent provision of the audio purported to have been recorded by Miss Aidoo at the CID Headquarters, Ghana, we want to believe that the Commission provided a representation to Miss Evelyn Aidoo to defend her appropriately. If so then it stands to reason that the Commission would have information relative to the alleged human rights abuses perpetrated by the then Deputy National Security Coordinator and other assigns of the national security outfit of Ghana.

If Miss Evelyn Aidoo was not declared a security threat to Ghana, or that she engaged in any criminal activity for which the national security had to step in to engage in a legitimate and legal measure to ensure justice is exacted, then we think that the national security has no business in engaging in what is reported of state-sponsored armed robbery.

We learnt from the interview with Loud Silence TV that, she has since reported the matter to the Canadian Authorities for further actions.

We, by this letter, humbly request for copies of any reports that may have been compiled pursuant to her bringing the matter before your Office or any such offices mandated to handle any such matters which are within your jurisdiction and further information from the Mission to enable us take the necessary steps in seeking justice for Miss Aidoo. This notwithstanding, we believe the International Human Rights Organizations need to be invited to participate in seeking justice for Miss Evelyn Aidoo. This request in our estimation is without prejudice to your oath of secrecy and confidentiality as a Commission.

We hereby attach a copy of the petition submitted to the Office of the Speaker of Parliament of Ghana the basis upon which we are making this humble request from your High Office.

It is our fervent hope that this request of ours will meet your kind consideration.

Thank you

Yours faithfully,

1. …………………………………………

Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese

Damongo, Ghana

Contact: +233 (0) 24 419 8031

 

2. ………………………………………..

Elikem Kotoko

Accra, Ghana

Contact: +233 (0) 24 470 5778

 

3. …………………………………………

Stephen Kwabena Attuh

Accra, Ghana

Contact: +233 (0) 54 734 9026