Wa, Aug. 18, GNA - Mr. Haruna Basiparimu, a security man at the Akomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, has been shot and wounded by a policeman at Gwollu in the Upper West Region over a mobile phone. Mr Basiparimu, who was in Gwollu to bury his brother whose body he had brought from Kumasi, was shot in his shoulder and he is on admission at the Wa Regional Hospital.

He told the GNA that on August 09 Mr Yahaya Nasara, a night watchman, picked a mobile phone at the Gwollu market square and gave it to his younger brother, Zubeiru Nasara, and left the house. He asked Zubeiru to direct whoever called on the phone to their house to identify and collect the phone. Not quite long someone called and Zubeiru directed the caller to the house. She turned out to be one Miss Alimatu Hasimiru who claimed ownership of the phone.

Zubeiru told her to come back later to collect the phone from Mr Basiparimu who had gone out but she did not take kindly to this. Mr Basiparimu said she reported the encounter to her boy friend, one Paul, who is a policeman at Gwollu. The next morning Paul's, friend one Seidu, allegedly led three policemen to the house and asked of Zubeiru who had gone to his farm that morning.

Mr Basiparimu said Zubeiru was picked up from his farm and beaten up and his cries for help attracted some young men to the scene who pleaded with the police to stop the molestation. The young men went to the Gwollu Kuoru, Kuri Buktie Limann and the District Chief Executive, Mr. Robert W. Baka, and complained to them about the behaviour of the police.

He said on August 11 the police surrounded the market square section of Gwollu and broke doors of houses, molested the occupants and arrested four youngmen.

The four were forced into the police car and when he, Mr. Basiparimu, came out to see what was happening, he allegedly heard an order by one Ambrose Obeng to the policemen "shoot him he is a dangerous man and they shot at me".

He said he fell to the ground and the policemen dragged him on the ground to where their car was and lifted him into the car. Mr Basiparimu said he was taken to Tumu District Hospital where the police announced to the people that he was an armed robber but the hospital authorities transferred him to Wa Regional Hospital. More/

Mr Basiparimu said the behaviour of the police caused agitation among the young men who started to mobilise for a clash with the police.

But for the timely intervention of the Gwollu Kuoru and the DCE there would have been a blood bath in Gwollu. Police reinforcement was sent to Gwollu to maintain security.

The Regional Minister, Mr. Mahmoud Khalid, the Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police Alex Bedie, together with members of the Upper West Regional Security pleaded with the people to forgive and forget about what had happened and to re-establish good relationship with the police.

Mr. Khalid appealed to the people to put the past behind them and build good relationship with the police, saying: "Don't be discouraged. There is the need for you and the police to co-exist peacefully to sustain peace at all times".

Mr Bedie appealed to the police to always act or react professionally in whatever situation they found themselves.