KMA suspends Assembly member for stealing

He was accused of having used his own powers to free some drivers whose cars were seized

The Assembly member for Krofrom West within the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) of the Ashanti Region, Wilberforce Nana Kwame Obeng, has been suspended for misconduct. He is to serve a three month suspension.

He was accused of having used his own powers to free some drivers whose cars were seized by Day and Night Towing Service, a company contracted by the Asembly to tow cars wrongly parked in the city.

The cars were towed and parked at the KMA car park, but according to the KMA, Mr Obeng ordered workers of the company to hand over ignition keys of the seized cars to the drivers.

He was also accused to have personally broke the padlock of the drawer containing the cars’ ignition keys and handed them over to the drivers after the workers failed to oblige his orders.

A General Counterfoil Receipt, and Ghc5,000 were said to have got missing after the incident.

The Manager of the Towing company, Mr Thomas Owusu, subsequently petitioned the Public Relations and Complaints Committee of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly over the conduct of the Assembly member.

The Committee, chaired by the presiding member, investigated the matter and Mr Wilberforce, having admitted the offense and apologised for the act, was suspeneded upon recommendation from the general assembly.

The Assembly, acting upon the recommendations of the committee and by the District Assembly’s Act, section 2022, subsection A,B,C suspended him for three months at its meeting on Friday, September 29, 2017.

The Presiding member of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Mr Abraham Boadi, popularly called Opooman, told Accra FM’s Elisha Adarkwah that, it was not the first time the Assembly member was behaving or showing such misconduct.

He said, he has not been only suspended for three months, but the Assembly has withdrawn all the immunities and privileges he enjoys as an Assembly member.

He said he will also be on probation for three months after serving the suspension.

According to him, the unit committee of the area has been assigned to take care of the area, to be assisted by nearby government appointees.

But the Asembly member, Mr Wilberforce Nana Kwame Obeng, told Elisha Adarkwah that, he has not received any letter indicating that he has been suspended