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General News of Monday, 5 December 2011

Source: Daily Guide

Veep’s Bodyguard On Rampage

One of the bodyguards of Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Saturday assaulted Kwadwo Kyeremeh, the official photographer to Nana Akufo-Addo, the NPP presidential candidate, at Juaben in the Ashanti Region.

The two personalities were some of the important dignitaries including Otumfuo Osei Tutu, the Asantahene, who graced the 40th anniversary of the Omanhene of Juaben, Nana Otuo Siriboe.

According to the victim of the unprovoked assault, Kwadwo Kyeremeh, he sought to take a shot of the Vice President when he proceeded to shake hands and exchange pleasantries with Nana Akufo-Addo at the function but he was stopped by one of the bodyguards of Mr. Mahama.

The bodyguard was blunt with his order, “don’t take any photograph” and this, according to the photographer, surprised him, as it was the third time that he was receiving such a treatment at the hands of the Vice President’s security detail.

“I asked him why I could not take a photograph of the exchange of pleasantries between the two personalities. I told them that this is the third time that they were barring me from performing my duties as a photographer,” he said.

His entreaties did not change the position of the bodyguards as one of them asked him to leave the scene, which he obliged, he said.

“As I returned to my former position, one of the many security personnel accompanying the Vice President told me that I was very stubborn and proceeded to hit me in the chest without any provocation,” he added.

It was at this stage that the Vice President’s spokesperson, John Jinapor, allegedly came and pulled him away from the scene of the assault, an intervention which perhaps saved him from further brutalities at the hands of the powerful men.

He identified the person who assaulted him as wearing a pink stripped shirt and a pair of brown trousers.

The attack did not go down well with people around who started jeering at the Vice President’s bodyguards.