General News of Monday, 13 February 2006

Source: GNA

Activists seize MP's vehicle

Tepa (Ash), Feb 13, GNA - Some people believed to be New Patriotic Party (NPP) activists in the Ahafo-Ano constituency in the Ashanti region on Sunday seized a Nissan pick-up with registration number GE 3862 being used by Mr Kwame Owusu Frimpong, Member of Parliament (MP) for the area.

They alleged that vehicle belonged to the constituency and not for the MP.

When the Ghana News Agency contacted the Tepa police, an officer confirmed that they had received a complaint from the MP but no arrest had been made nor had the police retrieved the vehicle and that the case was under investigation.

Narrating his side of the story to newsmen, the MP said at about 1300 hours on Sunday, he was returning from the palace of Tepamanhene and when he was about to join the main Tepa-Goaso road, a vehicle belonging to the constituency chairman of the NPP crossed him. He said five people emerged from a nearby house and demanded the key to his vehicle.

He alleged that the people attacked his driver, collected the keys and drove the vehicle away so he reported the matter to the police. Mr Thomas Sarbeng, the MP's driver, corroborated his story and said he could have resisted the thugs but for fear of his life, the MP instructed him to give in.

He said at the time the people took the vehicle away, he had his mobile phone and an amount of 10 million cedis meant for his father's funeral celebration in it.

When the constituency chairman, Mr Eric Opoku alias 'Adom Wura' was contacted, he said he was away from the town and returned Sunday evening to hear the story.

Mr Opoku said the Party Executive had on several occasions asked the MP to handover the vehicle for party activities without any positive results.

He, however, condemned the action of those who forcibly took the vehicle from the MP and said if he was around he would not have supported the action.