ASABEE DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN
…Says “They are helping me fulfil God’s will”
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Former Information Minister under the Kufuor administration, Stephen Asamoah-Boateng seemed not to be least bothered by the frustrations he and his family are going through at the hands of agents and operatives of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
He says what the BNI is doing is rather making his life perfect in the face God since according to him, these challenges and triumphs and success of clearance of cases and hurdles, clearly shows that they are helping him fulfil his makers will.
Speaking on various radio stations yesterday about his encounter with BNI operatives at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on Monday night, Mr Asamoah-Boateng, who is fondly called Asabee said “all they are doing is just making my life perfect in the face of God”, stressing that these challenges and hurdles are making him fulfil God’s will.
This was after his second encounter with operatives of the BNI at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in Accra on Monday evening when he and his family were prevented from travelling outside the country to the United Kingdom.
After going through the normal immigration and check-in procedures at the airport, the former Information Minister said he together with his wife, Zuleika and their two children were approached by two unidentified men, one of who later gave his name as Stephen Abrokwah who told them that they could not travel outside the country.
According to him, they however did not give him and his family any justifiable or tangible reason why they could not travel outside the country except to say that their boss wanted to see him (Asabee) at the Arrival hall.
Asabee said he therefore together with his family accompanied the gentlemen who were now about eight to the Arrival hall, where they were told he (Asabee) could not travel outside the country.
Asked why he could not travel with his family, Asabee said the agents could not give him any reason except to say that they have been directed or asked to prevent him (Asabee) from travelling outside the country.
At this point, the former Information Minister noted that since they had been issued their boarding pass, he and his family proceeded to board the British Airways flight since to the best of his knowledge, the issue between his wife and the state, which resulted in the seizure of her passport, had been resolved by an Accra High Court, following the court’s decision to restore the document.
In the process, Asabee noted that the agents who numbered about seven harassed them but he did not burg and proceeded to board the plane.
Barely twenty to thirty minutes after boarding the flight, he indicated that he was called by one of the flight attendants who told him someone wanted to speak with him, only to realise that it was the same Abrokwah who was still insisting that he could not travel outside the country and for that matter should disembarked from the plane without reason.
Asabee said he declined to disembark based on the reason that he had not been given any tangible reason why he could not travel with his family since according to him, they had already informed the court which heard the case involving his wife of their intentions to travel on 3rd August 2009 and return back on 24th August 2009, for which reason the judge gracefully obliged and slated the next hearing of the case to 25th August 2009.
Minutes after he returned to his seat, Asabee said he was informed that the plane had been grounded and for that matter long as he is remained on board the plane, it would not fly to its destination.
By this time, he noted that the action of the gentleman created a scene in the plane since everybody on board was wondering what was happening.
This, according to him, compelled the flight attendants to call in the Captain of the plane, one Captain Remington who also argued with the BNI operatives for another twenty minutes.
Later, Asabee noted that the Captain informed him that he has been asked not to fly the plane if he (Asabee) remains on board.
For this reason, Asabee said he told the Captain there was nothing he could do and therefore left the decision in the hands of the airline.
According to him, the Captain therefore pleaded with him to disembark from the plane, which he and his family obliged and left for home.
Deputy Information Minister, James Agyenim-Boateng has been trying to explain why the BNI prevented Asabee from leaving the country.
According to him, the former Minister remains the subject of the investigations into the circumstance under which the very Information Ministry, which he used to head, awarded a contract to Plexiform ventures, a company his wife Zuleika is said to be the owner, he would not be allowed to travel outside.
Mr. Agyemang-Boateng said this would enable the former Minister to assist in the security agencies, especially the BNI in the process of investigations.
Asked whether Mr. Asamoah-Boateng would be prevented from travelling outside the country until the investigations are rounded up, the Deputy Minister said “that is my understanding, at this point remains the subject of the investigations, he is a very critical part to unravelling the circumstances which led to Plexiform ventures’ contract. Am sure that the security agencies are going to need him.”
He therefore noted that the decision to stop Mr. Asamoah-Boateng who is fondly referred to as Asabee from travelling was informed by the fact that the issue has not yet been rounded up.
Since the issue was still pending, he noted that the BNI thought it wise to stop Asabee from travelling outside the country, in order to assist in investigations.
In any case, he noted that the security agencies have shown that people under investigations could seek clearance from them before travelling outside the country, which he said Asabee has not done, saying, “he has not sought clearance nor notified the agencies which are investigating him that he intends to travel and will return by a specific date.”
Once he does that, Agyenim-Boateng, noted that security agencies would be reasonable enough to make him travel, stressing “as it stands now, he has not done any such thing.”
He used the instance of the former Speaker of Parliament, Sekyi-Hughes in which he sought clearance from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Police Service before leaving the country as a typical example and therefore gave Asabee a liberal advice to do the proper thing, by notifying the security agencies before taking any such initiative.
That notwithstanding, Mr. Agyenim-Boateng noted that nothing prevented the former Minister’s family from travelling since his wife and children were at liberty to travel without him.
According to him, they voluntarily decided not to travel in solidarity of their husband and dad.