General News of Wednesday, 4 April 2018

Source: starrfmonline.com

Police lied; I didn’t reject protection – Eric Opoku fires back

Eric Opoku, MP for Asunafo South Constituency Eric Opoku, MP for Asunafo South Constituency

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo North Eric Opoku has denied ever rejecting an arrangement by the Brong Ahafo Regional Police command to provide him extra security after his residence was attacked during Christmas in 2017.

The Regional Police Command in an interview with Starr News Tuesday said the legislator was to blame for the latest attack he suffered.

According to the police command, Mr. Opoku who was the regional Minister in the erstwhile Mahama administration rejected arrangements to provide him extra security after an earlier attack on his residence.

“We gave him three armed men and he declined…he declined. So it was not that we are not giving him security,” the Brong Ahafo Regional Police PRO, Chief Inspector Augustine Oppong told Starr News’ Kweku Obeng Adjei.

Mr. Opoku in his reaction however lashed out at the Regional Police Command for lying.

“The District Commander is being economical with the truth,” he stated in a Starr News interview explaining that he personally requested for a security beef up before leaving Accra for his constituency [Asunafo South] and that he was offered five-man police protection.

“[But] when the…team got to the town…NPP boys attacked them, seized their vehicles and they had to run for their lives and no action was taken again,” he said.

He added, “The police never showed up again after that incident. So when he [Brong Ahafo Regional Police PRO, Chief Inspector Augustine Oppong] talked about Eric Opoku rejecting security, what type of security is he talking about?

“As police officers we expect them to exhibit the highest degree of professionalism. So I cannot understand how a police officer, a District Commander of Police will create a situation that never existed. So if I don’t need the security why then do I call to tell you that I was coming to the constituency?”

Some unknown assailants Sunday dawn attacked Mr Opoku at his residence at Sankore in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

The attackers, believed to be sympathisers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), also attacked and injured three other persons, all members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in their various homes that same night.

The incident happened at about 2am on Sunday April 1, 2018 making it the second time such an incident has happened in Mr Opoku’s house.

The names of the three injured persons have been given as Thomas Amponsah, Adams Seidu alias Red and Apostle Timothy.

The police command has since arrested two people in connection with the attack.