There was tension in the Asawase Constituency when the anti robbery squad of the Ashanti Regional Police Command arrested 12 persons belonging to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the late hours of Saturday, amidst sporadic gunshots.
It was not very clear what triggered off the picking up of the members at Aboabo at about 10:00pm.
But, the Ghanaian Times gathered that earlier in the day, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) only known as “Jordan” led others to the party office of the NDC MP and painted the entrance with the NPP colours which did not go down well with the MP’s supporters.
That provoked the NDC members to react which resulted in a confrontation that saw the NPP supporters filing away with a promise to return.
The development led to scores of NDC members, including Mohammed Muntaka Mohammed, the MP, converging on Sunday, at the headquarters at the Regional Police Command in protest of the police’s action to demand the release of the persons.
It was believed the 12 persons arrested were members of the campaign team of the MP.
They sent them to separate police cells within the Kumasi metropolis such as Suame, Asokore Mampong, Asokwa and Central.
The MP, reacting, noted they would be the last people to impede the work of the police because without them all Ghanaians were not safe, “but the incessant repetition of this kind of arrest is our concern and worry.”
As at the time of filing this report the statements of the persons arrested were being taken.
According to the MP no charges had been preferred against those arrested.
He said, the police indicated that they were looking for a particular person whom he said “from a video clip shown me, the person was no where near the constituency.”
The MP said those arrested were members who had been going round pasting posters of the NDC and that they were no rabble rousers.
But, the Police Command has stated that there was an arrest made of some suspected criminals to assist in investigations in response to recent criminal activities in the metropolis.
He said subsequent to the arrest, some persons claiming to be members of the NDC went to the Suame Police Station to demand the release of their colleagues amid verbal and physical attack on some police personnel there.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Godwin Ahyiano, indicated that the police exhibited extreme professionalism and controlled the situation.
He said the police have had a video clip of those who were at the station and mentioned one Yakubu Tony Aidoo leading as they banged the counter at the charge office.
ASP Ahianyo said “those persons should submit themselves to the police in their own interest to assist the police in investigations.”
He pointed out that the police would not relent in their work to enforce law and order in the region and would not countenance any lawlessness and as such any one found to be acting contrary to the law would be dealt with without fear or favour.
ASP Ahianyo urged all to remain calm and go about their duty without any fear as the police were on top of security to investigate any crime and have the perpetrators prosecuted.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
