Mampong Akuapem Member of Parliament (MP) and former National Lottery Authority (NLA) Director-General, Sammi Awuku has denied reports circulating on social media that he had been invited or arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

Mr Awuku said he was in Kumasi for a wedding when he was approached by social commenter and political activist, Appiah Stadium, over the rumours.

He said Appiah Stadium subsequently called the person behind the rumours to show that he was free and was not in EOCO custody.

Mr Awuku said Bongo Ideas, who had initially posted the claims, later questioned whether the video showing him free was current or old.

“Then this young man called Bongo Ideas who posted the initial rumours, was now saying he doesn't know if Appiah Stadium's video of me being free was current or old. He added that he knows I have been going to EOCO to quietly report. I'm a public figure. I don't need to go and quietly report to an investigative body,” he said.

Accountability is civil and democratic

Mr Awuku said he and the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) had no problem with accountability, accepting that public officials must be accountable for their actions and decisions as leaders.

“Once you occupy public office, there'll be accountability one day,” he said.

“And so NPP and our members won't run away from accountability.”

He, however, criticised what he described as the manner in which former public officials were invited or arrested by state institutions currently.

“What we have bemoaned in the past is the rambo style and the kind of drama that characterizes the invitation and arrests of persons who previously occupied public office,” he said.

He stressed that accountability should be handled through due process.

He said accountability is “civil and democratic”.

“But don't invite us through social media,” he added.

Questions social media claims

Mr Awuku also referred to another rumour claiming that he owned 250 cars.

“How many automobiles are even in Despite's automobile showroom?” he asked, questioning the credibility of the claim.

“It's as if they are using social media to hint at your arrest,” he said.

He recalled seeing an EOCO pull-up banner at the organisation’s reception urging the public to recognise and speak well of its work.

Mr Awuku said he found this laughable given what he described as the manner in which EOCO was handling its affairs, citing the recent controversial arrest of NPP member and former Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCoD), Dennis Miracles Aboagye.

“The most draining part is you keep explaining yourself on the same matter. So that was worrying to me,” he said.

He also laughed at claims by a certain Alex Tetteh that he had been detained by EOCO for three days.

Calls on NDC to focus on ‘bread and butter’

Mr Awuku cautioned the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) should “not specialize in arrests and threats of arrests” but rather focus on the “bread and butter” issues, which he said were paramount.

“Don't just hide behind social media to ruin people's reputation when all you're saying is not true,” he added.

Mr Awuku however emphasised he supports free speech and believes the appropriate response to false information is to set the record straight.

“When I see something, I cross check,” he said.