NPP members attack NDC sympathizers

Begoro (E/R), Nov. 14, GNA - A group of New Patriotic Party (NPP), supporters with clubs and cutlasses in two party pick-ups attacked some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who were on their way to Begoro to have their votes transferred to the Fanteakwa constituency on Wednesday.

Five of the NDC supporters who received various degrees of injuries were issued with police forms and sent to the Begoro Hospital where they were treated and discharged.

The NPP members, led by Kwabena Nkansah, a brother of Mr Amankwa Asiamah, Parliamentary Candidate of the NPP for the Fanteakwa constituency for the 2008 elections, was said to have led the assault on the NDC supporters, where they were searched and their voters identity cards, mobile phones and various sums of money taken away from them. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Begoro, Mr Abass Fuseini, Campaign Co-ordinator of the NDC, explained that the supporters who were attacked were citizens of the constituency who are now working in Accra but decided to transfer their votes because by December, they would be engaged in farming activities at Dedeso in the Fanteakwa constituency and so would wish to transfer their votes to the area. He said the group approached the former constituency Chairman of the NDC, Mr Christopher Narh, who decided to facilitate the process to have their votes transfer effected.

Mr Fuseini said he was at Begoro when he received a call that the group on their way to the transfer centre was accosted by a vehicle and the occupants of that vehicle were making threatening gestures to them and so he decided to use his motorcycle to meet them on the way. He said he met the two 207 Benz buses, in which the group were travelling at the Ehiamankyene junction and within a few minutes the pick-ups filled with the NPP supporters arrived to attack them. Mr Fuseini said he could identify those who attacked them and said one of their attackers, Kudzo Ayirepey, was holding a short gun during the attack.

Reacting to the allegations, Mr Kwame Appiah Kodua, NPP Constituency Organizer for Fanteakwa and campaign manager of the party in the constituency, denied that his party members did attack the NDC supporters.

He said the NPP heard that the NDC was transporting supporters from Accra, Tema and Ashaiman to transfer their votes to the constituency and his party members who were on their way to Bososu intercepted the two vehicles. He denied that the NPP supporters took anything from the NDC members.

Mr Kodua explained that because of the bad intention of the NDC supporters, immediately they saw the NPP pick-ups they started jumping through the windows of their buses. He said the NPP leadership would not support any bad behaviour on the part of its members, adding that, the case had been referred to the police for investigations. The Begoro police confirmed the story and said the case was under investigations.