Information reaching DAILY GUIDE from the Bawku Municipality indicates that the front part of a Toyota Corolla vehicle with registration number GT 4235 Y, belonging to the Bawku Chief Imam, Mutalah Mohammed, was found burnt yesterday morning.

The brand new car was presented to him by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary aspirant and Deputy Minister of Education, Mahama Ayariga, on Sunday, September 23, after the afternoon Muslim prayers at the central mosque.

A DAILY GUIDE source in Bawku said an announcement was made after the prayers requesting that all members of the congregation present should wait to witness a memorable event. After waiting for some time, Mr Ayariga, accompanied by some NDC members and supporters, arrived at the mosque to present the key to the car to the Chief Imam.

The source told this reporter that as members of the congregation who witnessed the presentation ceremony departed the mosque, they kept asking each other whether the car was just a gesture from Mahama Ayariga to help in the propagation of the good news or one of the usual political “insults” on opinion leaders during election period.

The acting Bawku Divisional Police Commander, Chief Inspector Alordey, who confirmed the story, said the Chief Imam made a report at the police station around 2:45am on Monday that his wife woke him up around 1:45am to inform him that the car that was presented to him by Mahama Ayariga was on fire. He then rushed out and saw the bonnet of the car burning and so called for help to quench the fire. In the course of dousing the fire, the windscreen of the car got broken.

Chief Superintendent Alordey said petrol that was poured on the car could not get to the inner part of the car; therefore the inner part of the car did not get burnt.

According to police, even though the Chief Imam said he did not suspect anyone at the moment, they were investigating the matter to get to the bottom of it.