NPP chairman, three others assault TV star

“I remained in a trance for a moment not comprehending what I had gone through.” These were the words of Ghana Television aerobic star, Stephen Amegashie, who told Chronicle he was pounded like ‘kokonte’ or dried cassava chips by four strong men in traffic on August 3, this year.

Narrating his ordeal to this paper, soft-spoken Amegashie, a karatist and ship chandelier said on Tuesday August 3, this year, he was in a ‘go-slow’ traffic at Tema Community One, in front of the Shell fuel filling station.

All of a sudden four men attacked him behind the steering wheel and, without cause started raining blows on his head.

According to him, three of his assailants held him as the fourth landed hefty blows to the upper part of his body, especially his face. In the midst of the confusion, one of them reportedly said that, “We are beating you because you drove carelessly.”

The man who landed the heavy blows was later identified as the Ashaiman constituency chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alhaji Hamid (Papaye) the blood-eyed young man stated.

He added that he was nearly lynched but for the timely intervention of passers-by. Police sources at Tema Community One, who investigated the case, told this reporter that a chaotic moment arose in vehicular traffic that fateful day at about 11:30 in the morning.

According to the police, the four men, including the NPP chairman were in a pick-up, with registration number GT 6899 D, on the dual carriage from the Tema Port towards the Mankoadze roundabout.

Stephen Amegashie allegedly drove recklessly by overtaking them on the right shoulder of the road grazing their pick-up with his Nissan Urvan bus with the registration number GT 980 P.

The police further said that Amegashie sped off but was chased and caught up in traffic and an attempt to arrest him failed.

This resulted in the assault on the television star who was issued a police medical form to attend hospital.

The medical report form signed by a doctor at the Tema General Hospital says bearer was brutally assaulted by a gang of people.

He sustained multiple contusions on the face, neck and back.

Subsequently, he was put on treatment.

After investigations during which Amegashie disputed the assailants’ claim as narrated by the police, the chairman and his men have been charged to appear before court today.

A close associate of the chairman said that they were actually trying to stop Amegashie in traffic after the alleged incident hence the crossing of his vehicle with theirs.

Meanwhile, the police at Community One say that for the alleged motor traffic offence, they are referring it to the Tema regional branch of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU).

It will be recalled that Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, recently launched a campaign against indiscipline at all places.

The Central Regional Minister, Mr. Isaac Edumadze, attracted public attention when just a few months in office he seized a taxi from Suhum in the Eastern Region and caused it to be driven all the way to Cape Coast in the Central Region because of an alleged careless driving on the part of the driver.

Next was the Dangme East District Chief Executive (DCE), Kofi Plaha, whose action ended with a taxi being burnt to ashes at Ada in the Greater Accra Region.

Honourable John Achuliwor’s bodyguard’s attack on an articulated truck driver, Joseph Fiagbor, at Nsawam, is also in the line-up of officials arrogating to themselves the powers of the MTTU personnel.