A former aide de camp of former President Rawlings who survived a suspected armed robbery attack has dispelled speculation that he was the target of an assassination attempt. Warrant Officer Patrick Kuntor, exchanged gunfire with the suspected robbers, injuring at least one of them.

The incident prompted a statement from the Office of the former President expressing concern about what it referred to as a series of incidents of “intimidation and unexplained attacks against the ex-President, his body guards and other close associates.”

However, Mr. Kuntor told JOY FM that he did not like the sensationalism and panic situation that has been created since the attack on him. According to him, he retired to bed at about 10 pm on Monday after returning from his farm at Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region.

At about 1.45 am, his attention was drawn to the presence of the robbers when his security man shouted that he was being murdered after a loud explosion. He told JOY FM that he looked through his window and saw four men trying to tie the security man up and opened fire to scare them off.

The robbers numbering about 15 fled because only three of them were wielding arms. Sources at the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service have also indicated that their investigations so far point to an ordinary armed robbery.

The Ghana News Agency quoting security sources said the robbers had wanted to take advantage of Mr. Kuntor’ long absence from home to his farm at Wenchi to rob him.

Meanwhile, the statement from the office of the former President said Flt Lt Rawlings cut short his visit to Botswana where he was invited to participate in an international conference organized by the Global Coalition for Africa following report of an attempted assassination on the life of his former bodyguard.