Oboafo Kwadwo Asante
AN aide to the Suhum Member of Parliament, Oboafo Kwadwo Asante has been arrested and granted bail by the Police, following the melee which occurred last Saturday at a funeral held at Suhum – Urban Council in the Eastern Region.
The arrested suspect (name withheld) is alleged to be involved in the melee and was reported to have slapped the Suhum NPP Constituency Secretary, Ernest Lartey who was trying to separate them during the “free for all fight” at the funeral.
The prime suspect, identified as Jamalo, one of the drivers of MP, who allegedly slashed a cutlass on the forehead on the NPP Lower West Akyem Communications Officer, Bernard Kwesi Amoani is currently on run as the Police has declared him wanted.
The Police has confirmed the incident and said they were investigating the matter, adding that they are keeping the machete as an exhibit.
The Member of Parliament for the area, Kwadjo Asante in a statement has condemned and also debunked assertions connecting his driver to the clashes that led to the assault on Bernard Kwasi Amoani, 51, sustaining a deep cutlass injury in the head.
According to him, “I wish to state categorically that, my driver was not involved in the case neither was cutlass nor implement picked from my car as is being alleged in the media”.
The victim Bernard Kwesi Amoani, was allegedly slashed with a cutlass on his forehead by someone who claimed to be Mr Asante’s driver.
But the MP, in a statement, dismissed the reports that the cutlass used for the act was picked from his car.
The violent attacks happened at the funeral grounds of the late father of one of the party’s communicators known as Opare.
Mr Asante did not admit or decline, instead, he said “I wish to pray that these eminent leaders of my party, the New Patriotic Party, are accorded the needed respect and dignity and not brought into this unfortunate incident”.
He described the incident as unfortunate, as he urged party supporters to remain calm, adding that the party abhors any form of violence.
Mr Asante further charged his constituents exercise restraint as the police investigate the matter and also pledged to cooperate and support in any way possible to resolve the situation peacefully.
How It Happened
Matters came to a head when some of the Party communicators who attended the funeral of the father of one of their colleagues were engaged in a brutal fight with the MP’s supporters.
The Political Adviser to the Chief of Staff, Frank Bekoe, alias Protozoa who is lacing his boot to contest the Suhum seat was said to be already at the funeral grounds and the communicators were there mourning their colleague on Saturday when the brawl which resulted in casualties, started.
When the MP arrived, an NPP communicator called Alexander Odei, aka Big Deal, reportedly approached the legislator brother called Mantey and requested to be allowed to announce his arrival but a brother of the MP identified as Mantey objected because he perceived Odei to be pro-Protozoa.
Odei then reportedly took the microphone and started announcing that the MP did not want to work with the communicators so they were leaving the funeral grounds, a threat that did not go down well with the MP and his entourage.
Women’s Organiser
The Women’s Organiser of the constituency, Hannah, who was at the scene, then snatched the microphone from Odei for making that statement, and in the ensuing melee, Odei was attacked by some supporters from the MP’s camp.
There were also claims that when Hannah approached Odei to snatch the microphone, she was slapped by Odei and that sparked the mass brawl.
The communicators sensing that their colleague (Odei) was being attacked also intervened and it became a free-for-all fight.
The Constituency Secretary, Ernest Lartey, who was going to separate the melee was heavily assaulted by the supporters of the MP.
Machete Attack
The MP’s driver who was identified as Jamalo then brought a machete from the car and slashed Bernard Kwasi Amoani, 51, from Asamankese, a communicator who was said to have tried to stop the fight but suffered a head injury and bled profusely.
Victim
The 51-year-old Bernard Amoani, who was slashed in the head during a funeral at Suhum – Urban Council has recounted what happened.
He explained that he arrived at the funeral with one Sammy Darko at almost 4:00 pm because he went for his in-law’s funeral at Ahwerase.
According to him, he was in a hurry to leave but stayed after they had information that one ‘Protozoa’ from the Presidency will be in attendance, hence they had to go and greet the bereaved family with him.
He stated the funeral went on smoothly until the Suhum Member of Parliament(MP), Boafo Kwadwo Asante, arrived.
“I am a polling station organizer at Asamankese so as the order of the day had been, we decided to escort the MP to greet as party communicators but were stopped because they said they didn’t know us,” he narrated.
Following the development, Mr Amoani stated one of their members went to announce their departure from the funeral, a situation which did not sit well with some supporters and led to the melee.
“When the fight broke out, I cautioned them to stop since our opponents were present and could use it against us but my pleas fell on deaf ears.
“I was trying my best to ensure law and order when suddenly, someone slashed my forehead. Though blood was oozing, I run after the car but the other mourners chased and got hold of me,” he added.
He further explained he did not see anything again until he was rushed to the Suhum Government Hospital where he was treated and discharged on Sunday.
He further called on the Ghana Police Service to arrest the suspected driver of the MP, Jamalo currently at large to face prosecution for peace to prevail in Suhum.
Meanwhile, Protozoa, who was accused of being a beneficiary of the melee, issued a statement also, denied his involvement in the melee, saying the spurious allegation was designed to tarnish his reputation.
Protozoa also “condemned this barbaric act by this unscrupulous person in no uncertain terms and also with the victims of his needless attack a speedy recovery,” and said, “as it stands, the matter remains in the custody of the Ghana Police Service at Suhum for investigation, hence, I urge the general public to stay calm and allow the law to take its course”.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Suhum