Kwamena Duncan condemns DCE’s behaviour

Mr Kwamena Duncan, the Central Regional Minister, has condemned the action of Mr Ransford Nyarko, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam, who led some thugs to assault a police officer at Ochiso, near Ajumako.

He said the DCE’s behaviour was condemnable, unacceptable and unbecoming of a leader who was supposed to be chairman of the District Security Committee (DISEC).

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Duncan said from his briefings, Mr Nyarko did not directly assault the police officer but his presence at the station with the alleged thugs gave the culprits the power to take the law into their own hands.

He said the DCE claimed that the Police Officer was insolent to him on phone and he drove to the station to express his displeasure and left only for those accompanying him to pounce on the Officer.

But the Minister said that excuse was untenable and the DCE was complicit in the crime because as the Chairman of DISEC, he should have known better to report the alleged insolent behaviour of the officer to the District Police Commander.

General/Cpl Frank Mensah of the Ochiso Police Station, near Ajumako, was assaulted in the presence of two Community Police Assistants who were on duty with him on Saturday, December 12.

The DCE, accompanied by one man, known in the Community as Bob, and seven others whose names were unknown but could be identified, also freed a suspect in custody, put him in their vehicle, and drove away.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Irene Serwaah Oppong, Regional Police Public Relations Officer, told the GNA that G/Cpl Mensah received a complaint from one Adwoa Sophia of Ochiso that one Cosmos had assaulted her grandson, Kofi Akorfo, 18, for no apparent reason.

G/Cpl Mensah then took the statement of the complainant, issued a police medical form so she could seek medical attention for her grandson, who returned with the endorsed form.

He, thereafter, arrested the suspect.

Shortly after, a man on a motor bike arrived at the Police Charge Office and handed over a phone to G/Cpl Mensah and requested him to speak to a caller on the phone, which he obliged.

DSP Oppong said the caller, later identified as the DCE, allegedly rained verbal abuses on the Officer and described his action as “utter nonsense”.

In no time, two vehicles pulled up at the station with eight occupants, led by the DCE, and they pounced on the officer, assaulting him in the process.

The DCE was arrested on Monday but is now on police enquiry bail while investigations continue.