Israeli forensic report confirms Ofosu Ampofo’s voice on leaked audio- Investigator

A forensic examination has confirmed that the voice captured on a leaked audiotape threatening and encouraging mayhem belongs to the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress(NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.

The tape which was sent to Israel’s Forensic Science Institute was to authenticate whether the voice was indeed that of the NDC National Chairman who had been charged with conspiracy to assault a public officer and conspiracy to cause harm.

According to the prosecution, after comparing two audios– the leaked one and another one in which Mr Ofosu-Ampofo addressed NDC supporters after he was released from police custody, the result showed that there was a 90% probability the two voices are the same.

“The report indicated that there is 85% probability of confidence of speech features and defects that could be associated with Mr Ofosu-Ampofo. It was explained to me that pronunciation of certain words like people, officers, police were pronounced same.

“Even though, they were done in different times, they were able to carry out their examination and arrive at the conclusion,” the CID investigator, Bernard Berko told the court.

At the last sitting, the controversial tape was played where the NDC Chairman was allegedly inciting party faithful to cause disaffection for the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission.

Facts

According to the prosecution’s facts, following the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election debacle on January 31, 2019, Ofosu Ampofo met with some NDC party communicators on February 3, 2019.

The facts explained that at the said meeting, Ofosu Ampofo and Boahen set out a road map of criminal activities, including violence against the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa and the Chairman of the National Peace Council, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante.

It said an audio recording of the said meeting was leaked leading to investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service into the comments on the tape.

“We must wage against the Electoral Commission’s Chairperson [Jean Mensah]. With me, she doesn’t even want to see my face, we went to the office and she told us it was our usual tactics that caused the violence.

“We will target some people and we will let them know their lives are in danger. When it comes to this game we are better than them. We should not spare the Civil Society Organisations and religious leaders, especially the Peace Council Chair.

“We are not joking, we want to assure you that we will sit with the leaders and come up with a security plan,” the voice on the tape said.

Ofosu Ampofo maintains innocence

But Ofosu Ampofo, who described his trial as a political witch-hunt, minced no words by stating that he knows those behind his misfortunes.

The former Local Government Minister insisted that his arrest and subsequent trial was borne out of mischief and an attempt by his detractors to frustrate his effort as National Chairman of the largest opposition party.

Ofosu Ampofo has refused to give out the names of the said detractors but promised to reveal it in due time.

The NDC Chairman believed he would bounce back stronger as he has learnt useful lessons with the ongoing trial.

Lawyers for the embattled NDC National Chairman had argued that the audio recording of his client was a breach of his privacy.

The defence team, led by Tony Lithur, had filed an application asking an Accra High Court to stop the state from presenting a leaked audio recording as evidence of his client’s alleged crime.

But the court disagreed and admitted it, thereby strengthening the prosecution’s case.