One of the victims of the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election violence has indicated that he was assaulted by National Security operatives when he demanded from them a search warrant after the operatives confiscated a vehicle key.
Hamidu Amadu, who was captured being brutalised by some operatives on a video recording, said one of the operatives asked a colleague to slap him for asking for a warrant.
“I only asked for a warrant when they took the key of the Mahindra car. One of the operatives told the other to slap me for making the demand. I shouted for help when one of the men in black shirts and brown trousers asked another to slap me for asking for a warrant from them,” he stated.
He was speaking yesterday in Accra, when he appeared before the Commission of Inquiry tasked to investigate the circumstances to violence during the by-election on January 31 earlier this year.
When the National Security operative took the key of the car, he stated that he stood up and asked them to show the crowd their warrant stating that the operatives only showed their tags which they rejected as it was not what they requested to see.
Earlier, Mr Amadu said the masked men who were also in black shirts and brown trousers asked the people in front of the house to lie on the floor.
As the crowd began to mass up at the National Democratic Congress (NDC)parliamentary candidate’s house, he narrated that one of the operatives pulled out his weapon and shot six times forcing the crowd to scatter.
Due to the masks, he said he was not able to make out the faces of the National Security operatives who thronged to the house numbering about 30.
Although he admitted not being familiar with a warrant, he said he demanded for it due to security education he had gathered from a television programme on the role of warrants.
He denied claims that the National Security operatives acted violently because the crowd was going to attack operatives for the key they took, saying that the crowd was rather pleading with them.
As the branch chairman of the Ayawaso North NDC, he said he went to the constituency to give support to the party in Ayawaso West Wuogon on the day of the by-election.
“I got to Ayawaso West Wuogon at 6:00am on the day of the by-election, I was representing NDC. I went to the house of the NDC Parliamentary candidate to help distribute rice water and bread to the polling agents of the party. Five of us were supposed to help in distributing the breakfast,” he added.
There were about 25 people gathered around the NDC parliamentary candidate’s house when he got there after which the men in black shirts and brown trousers arrived at thehouse around 7:30am.
Another victim, Hudu Seidu, told the commission he was beaten and arrested when he told the masked men he was a security personnel.
He however raised doubt about his testimony when he told the commission he was confused when he was confronted by the masked men during the by-election scuffle.
The commission, chaired by Justice Emile Short, is set to hold its final public hearing today to allow members analyse and report on the testimonies given before it.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
