Kumasi, Oct. 26, GNA – The Ashanti Regional Police Command has refuted claims by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that it has targeted its members in the Asawase constituency for arrests.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Godwin Ahianyo, Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, told journalists in Kumasi that, the arrest of some 10 suspected armed robbers at Asawase on Saturday, was based on police intelligence to arrest perpetrators of some robberies in the Kumasi metropolis.
He said the Police determination to rid the city of all forms of criminal activities before, during, and after the elections, was not based on any party colours, but on professional Police intelligence work.
The Member of Parliament for Asawase, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak had earlier claimed that the arrests had been targeted at NDC members in the constituency.
The MP allegedly claimed that the Police had since the end of the voter registration exercise, been arresting and intimidating NDC supporters for no apparent reasons.
Alhaji Mubarak said he was baffled when the Police told him that some of the party supporters, who had just returned from campaign activities and were meeting in front of his office, were armed robbers who were wanted by the Police.
The 10 suspects were arrested by the anti-robbery squad of the Ghana Police Service in front of the Office of the MP, on Saturday evening.
The arrests sparked protests and some members of the NDC rushed and besieged the Ashanti Regional Police Command.
It took the intervention of the regional executive of the NDC and the MP to get bail for the suspects after their statements were taken by the police.
While the police said the suspects were part of some criminal gangs, the MP said they were picked based on their political affiliations.
GNA