NDC Goes Wild In Court at Obuasi

CHAOS ERUPTED yesterday outside the Obuasi Circuit Court as members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) attacked an accused person who is standing trial for his role in the violence that took place at Adansi-Akrofuom Constituency in the Ashanti Region recently. Abubakar Mohammed, a Kumasi-based trader, who has been accused of possessing fire arm and ammunitions during the political clash between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the ruling NDC at Akrofuom, received a big blow on his head and dirty slaps from his accusers after the court adjourned his case to May 7, 2012. Frustrated by the court processes, the NDC members decided to vent their spleen on the accused person who was granted bail of GH¢5,000 with two sureties, with one to be justified, DAILY GUIDE gathered. They threatened mayhem, grounded the vehicle that transported Abubakar to the court premises, and smashed its rear lights. The situation sent shivers down the spines of the court officials who ran for cover, bringing proceedings to an abrupt end. The police reinforcement team intervened after a Sony-Ericson cell phone belonging to an officer of the court was smashed on the ground by the angry NDC youth. It will be recalled that the Ashanti Regional Police command sent more armed police personnel to Adansi Akrofuom to maintain peace and order and guard the biometric registration exercise in the area after a clash between the supporters of the NDC and NPP on the night of Monday, March 26, 2012. The incident left one person with cutlass wounds. Some residents also fled the community. DSP Mathew Asante, Obuasi Municipal Police Commander, told DAILY GUIDE that the incident was as a result of suspicion and rumour that the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Appiah Pinkra, had brought macho-men to the community to visit mayhem on NDC supporters. DSP Asante said the rumour triggered a spontaneous reaction when Mohammed Mustapha Gariba, an activist of the ruling party, allegedly spotted two sympathizers of the NPP with the said macho-men at a section of the community. Mr. Asante disclosed that Gariba, who worked as a galamsey operator, claimed he received information from his friend that the MP had contracted macho-men to kill him and therefore reacted when he allegedly saw them pointing at him. The police commander said at least one gunshot was fired in the process and this attracted scores of people including some youth of the NDC who chased and arrested one Abubakar Mohammed said to be one of macho-men. “Abubakar Mohammed from Sawaba in Kumasi is currently in police custody assisting investigation as we wait for official complaints from the NPP,” he said. He said a green-coloured Mitsubishi pick-up with registration number GT 2161 X, belonging to the MP, and a motorbike being ridden by one Oware and Lampard, activists of the NPP, were vandalized in the process. DSP Asante added that a taxi driver, who had taken passengers to the community, was attacked and wounded after he was mistakenly identified by the angry youth as the transporter of the macho-men.

Source: Ernest Kofi Adu, Obuasi