Politics of Saturday, 4 December 2004

Source: GNA

NPP thugs attack Offinso South Independent Candidate supporters

Offinso (Ash), Dec. 4, GNA - Four New Patriotic Party (NPP) activists are helping the Offinso Police in investigations into an alleged attack on some supporters of the Offinso South Constituency Independent Parliamentary Candidate around his residence at Offinso on Friday.

They are Bronya Joe, Kwaku Achaw, Roamboy and one Alafa, all residents of Offinso.

The Police have in the meantime towed a Sierra 4x4 Ford saloon car with registration number AS 6556 R, which has its rear windscreen smashed and believed to have been driven by the culprits to the scene of attack, to the Asamankama Police Station.

Briefing the press on the incident, Alhaji Shaibu Abubakari, Offinso District Police Commander, said while on the way to his residence after close of work on Friday around 1700 hours, his attention was drawn to an alleged fracas between some NPP supporters and some supporters of Mr Akwasi Kumah, the Independent Candidate around his residence, where the District Electoral Officer had earlier briefed the over 200 polling agents of the independent candidate.

On arrival, he said, he observed that the situation was tense so he called for re-enforcement from the Asamankama Police Station. The attackers realizing that their lives were in danger, sought refuge at a nearby health centre, he said.

Alhaji Abubakari said with the intervention and help from Mr Akwasi Kumah and himself, the Police took more than three hours to calm down the more than 200 irate polling agents of the Independent Candidate before the alleged attackers were released and quickly whisked away to the Police Station.

The Police Commander said the case was under thorough investigation and called for tolerance and maturity among the various political parties.

Mr Kwasi Offe, Vice-Chairman of the campaign team of the independent candidate, when contacted condemned the action of the NPP activists.

Miss Akua Konadu, the Independent Candidate's Women's Organizer, who claimed she was one of the victims of the attack, disclosed that two of the alleged attackers, Bronya and Achaw sometime ago threatened to kill her and said her life was in serious danger.

Mr Kwasi Agyemang Afriyie, the Offinso South NPP Deputy Secretary, confirmed the incident but said he was not in town at the time and could, therefore, not comment on it.

Meanwhile, voting by the security personnel at Offinso was smooth and orderly.