General News of Saturday, 11 February 2017

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Vigilante groups operating in Flagstaff House, attacking Police officers - Kwesi Pratt

Kwesi Pratt Jnr. is Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper play videoKwesi Pratt Jnr. is Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper

Vigilante groups have taken over security at the Flagstaff House, harassing Police officers and in some instances, assaulting them, Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has alleged.

According to Mr. Pratt, the vigilante groups are reportedly providing extra security services at the seat of government, a situation he describes as one that is likely to cause 'serious trouble' for Ghanaians.

Speaking on Alhaji and Alhaji Saturday morning, Mr. Pratt claimed that in one such instance, a police officer was stopped in his car and assaulted by members of one of the vigilante groups at the Presidency.

Citing a video he has in his possession, Mr. Pratt said members of the vigilante group with the help of a military officer at the presidency assaulted an officer who was fleeing one such attack by members of the group.

"Last Monday I did a review of the video again and I saw something which was totally shocking. A police officer in uniform is driving a police car from inside the Flagstaff House and is trying to leave because he is being harassed by these vigilante groups. He gets to the main gate of the Flagstaff house, he's almost gone, and then a soldier in uniform wielding an AK-47 rifle stands in front of his car and then points the gun to his car and halts him so that the vigilante groups can catch up with him and beat him up."

Kwesi Pratt quizzed whether Ghana was approaching an era where 'even the security services will act on the basis of party allegiance...'

Some NPP foot soldiers have since the declaration of Nana Akufo-Addo as winner of the 2016 polls been on rampage, seizing state property and in some instances, destroying property and assaulting persons.

Though many have criticized the act, the party's acting Chairman, Freddie Blay, has justified it describing it as one aimed at 'protecting state property'.