General News of Wednesday, 31 December 2008

Source: jfm

Ashanti NDC Chairman attacked

People suspected to be New Patriotic Party supporters in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, are reported to be picking on followers of the National Democratic Congress for attacks.

Daniel Ohene Agyekum, NDC regional chairman, has told Joy FM he was attacked at his residence at Ridge, and he identified some of his alleged attackers as Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin North and one Appiah Stadium.

Other party officers and operatives have been attacked, and according to Ohene Agyekum, the group that marched on his house number about 500.

Police and military personnel, as well as NDC party supporters have since arrived at the residence.

Ohene Agyekum Luv FM’s journalist, Yaw Ansu Gyeabuor, that some Kumasi-based citizens of Tain, the outstanding constituency to conduct presidential election runoff in the Brong Ahafo Region, who had gone to see him for financial support to enable them travel back home to vote on Friday.

He said he had asked the group to wait, and while he was organizing to get them some support, they heard some noise that approached from the Ridge School end, and “suddenly there was this horde of marauding crowd or mob.”

“Kennedy Agyapong was leading them, …Appiah Stadium,…they came dressed in NPP T-shirts and NPP flags…so when our boys moved out, thank God they were here, when they moved out, it was going to be a near-clash.”

“Who doesn’t know Kennedy Agyapong? Who doesn’t know him? I saw him, I know him. The only person I didn’t know was Abinlele. I don’t know him but they mentioned his name, but Appiah Stadium I know him, they were leading the mob. Here, just at my entrance here. Why? What is this?”

He said three of the people with him were beaten up, and one of them was seriously injured he feared for his fate.

“They came with cutlasses, stones and sticks, and all types of deadly weapons. We thought that boy was dead.”

According to Ohene Agyekum, the crowd screamed death threats at him and his people, and explained that the attacks had been on since morning when the NPP agents attacked the party’s office, went to the regional Metro TV stations to also attack a video cameraman in pursuit of some recording, and in the process destroyed his video camera.

Ohene Agyekum said the threat of attacks had been reported to the police since morning, however nothing happened until they were attacked before the police showed up.

Meanwhile Kennedy Agyapong has denied being in Kumasi altogether, let alone lead any mob attacks.

He said he had returned from his constituency in the Central Region and was at a bank in Accra to cash money for the holidays when media houses started calling him with allegations he had led mob attacks in Kumasi.