National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, is threatening to challenge a court order by the Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu to telecommunications company MTN over his phone call records.

A court order issued on 22 January had requested MTN to provide call records between the MP and one Mr Kwasi Gyimah-Asante, an officer of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The Office of the Special Prosecutor is investigating Mr Ayariga for corruption and abuse of office.

Mr Ayariga is alleged to have imported three Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles into the country under questionable circumstances.

In a statement, the former Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry under the erstwhile Mahama administration urged MTN not to yield to the court order to provide details of his phone call records.

Mr Ayariga said on Thursday, 24 January 2019 said: “I believe that MTN is properly advised not to hastily yield to this clearly over-broad order in the interest of their customers. MTN must be seen to exhaust all legal challenges,”

Mr Ayariga who denied any knowledge of the said officer insisted his action to take the issue to court is to set proper precedents on the law protecting the privacy of the communication of Ghanaian citizens.

“I, however, think that in the interest of developing clarity on the law protecting the privacy of the communication of Ghanaian citizens on mobile telecommunications platforms, and setting proper precedents, the breath of the court order should be subjected to legal scrutiny. I have, therefore, instructed my lawyers accordingly".

Below is Ayariga’s full statement:

I will contest Martin Amidu court order for my MTN call records – Mahama Ayariga

I, Mahama, Ayariga would have gladly personally handed my MTN call records to Mr Martin Amidu, if he had just asked me directly, so he will see that I have never placed a call to Mr Kwasi Gyimah-Asante’s phone. I still do not know who Kwasi Asante-Gyimah is.

I, however, think that in the interest of developing clarity on the law protecting the privacy of the communication of Ghanaian citizens on mobile telecommunications platforms, and setting proper precedents, the breath of the court order should be subjected to legal scrutiny. I have therefore instructed my lawyers accordingly.

I believe that MTN is properly advised not to hastily yield to this clearly over-broad order in the interest of their customers. MTN must be seen to exhaust all legal challenges.

Hon. Mahama Ayariga