The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described as baseless accusations that it is using the police to intimidate supporters of the opposition in the Asawase Constituency.

It follows the arrest of some 10 supporters of the opposition National Democratic Congress who were picked up in an anti-robbery police swoop.

Member of Parliament for Asawase Muntaka Mubarak asserted that the recurrent arrest of NDC loyalists was an orchestration of some elements in the New Patriotic Party.

“It is becoming difficult that since the voters’ registration exercise, you will be there and they will just arrest your agents without any good reason. We go to the police station and bail the person. In the night they came to arrest those people but the police are telling us they were looking for some suspects in a robbery case and they heard they were around the said area,” the lawmaker told the media after the arrests on Sunday.

He pointed to the NPP Asawase constituency director of campaign operations, Ali Suraj as one of the influences using power and money to manipulate the police.

But Mr. Suraj is demanding a retraction and apology for such comments which he contends has damaged his image in the constituency.

Background

Members of the NDC besieged the Ashanti regional police command after ten of their members were arrested by Police after a party event.

The NDC activists were arrested by the anti-robbery squad of the Ghana police service in front of the office of the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr. Muntaka Mubarak, at Aboabo Police Office, after returning from campaign activities on Saturday, October 25, 2020.

The reason for their arrest is unknown, but the Member of Parliament for the area said they were picked up for allegedly being robbery suspects.

Mr Mubarak told Starr News some regional executives of the party, including the regional organiser, Esham Alhassan, the regional Chairman, Augustus Andrews Nana Kwasi, and the Regional Secretary, Kwame Zu, have gone to the police headquarters over the matter.

He said he has met with the regional police commander and has promised to grant them bail after their statements have been taken.

“It is becoming difficult that since the voters’ registration exercise, you will be there and they will just arrest your agents without any good reason. We go to the police station and bail the person. In the night they came to arrest those people but the police is telling us they were looking for some suspects in a robbery case and they heard they were around the said area,” he said.