Bryan Acheampong denies deploying masked men to Ayawaso by-election

He said the security operatives were deployed by the office of national security and he was not even available.

According to him, "I have done three interviews on radio, and at all times, I used third-person pronouns. I never said I, and that is something that I am battling with … I have never said anywhere in the three interviews that I granted… I, at all times, mentioned the Ministry of National Security or the national security or we, I never said I have deployed men."

In a video that went viral, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram was assaulted by a security man who sprang out of one of the vehicles being used by the SWAT team.

Acheampong said per the report he received, when the SWAT team were leaving the property, George appeared, using words that caused fear and panic and they tried to restrain him but he ignored the warning and approached the rear of the vehicle on the blind side of the Commander of the team and used words that incensed the operative and made him hit him.

He told the Commission of Inquiry tasked by the president to probe the by-election violence.

He added: "I am a minister of state in a ministry and if my Director of Operations tells me that they have deployed men, I am part of it, but I did not give the order that they should [deploy the masked men], that is why I used the words ‘we have’ because I know that it is my ministry that has deployed the men."

Meanwhile, former chief of staff and a legal practitioner, Nana Ato Dazie, has called for the resignation of Bryan Acheampong.

Nana Ato Dadzie contends that the Minister breached Article 526 of the Security and Intelligence act, 1996.

He stated emphatically that, the National Security Council, under the laws of the country has no power to move troops neither does it have the power to "operationalize a paramilitary force."