THE NDC polling agent in the Tain constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region said to have been stabbed at the weekend by an NPP activist, leading to the arrest of the NPP parliamentary candidate for the area, Joseph Ofori Amanfo and five others, has been arrested.
Divine Mensah, the victim-turned-suspect in the registration violence, was yesterday detained by the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Robert Ayalingo, upon reports that he was seen shooting indiscriminately at Banda Sabie after he was apparently discharged from the hospital.
Meanwhile, the Regional Police Command has granted police enquiry bail to Joseph Ofori Amanfo, the Tain NPP parliamentary candidate and five others who were arrested and detained in connection with the stabbing and assault of Divine.
The other freed NPP activists are Charles Akugri Mba, Constituency Secretary, Ibrahim Dauda Bamba, Youth Organiser, Amina Adams, treasurer, Andrews Oppong, member and George Amaning Kwarteng, a driver. They have all denied the allegation.
Addressing journalists in Sunyani yesterday, prior to the release of the NPP members, Mr Ayalingo said the police could not proceed to arraign the six suspects yesterday as planed because the prime suspect, one Baba Sina, who was said to have stabbed the NDC activist, was still at large.
He however said whilst investigating the matter, the chief of Sabie, where the incident took place, brought a fresh issue up against the victim.
According to him, the chief reported to the police on Monday that the victim, Divine, was spotted in the town on a motorbike shooting indiscriminately, daring his political opponents to come and face him.
The police chief mentioned that people waited patiently until the victim exhausted all his bullets and later ambushed him to take the gun away from him, but he managed to escape.
The commander said the chief brought the gun with two empty shells to him, hence placing the victim in custody as they investigated the fresh allegations.
DCOP Ayalingo said he received a call from the Wenchi Divisional Commander on April 7 that the divisional commander had received a distress call from the Banda area that some people had stabbed a young man during the registration.
He said the information was dispatched to the detachment of police and military team protecting the Bui Dam to move to the scene.
The team learnt that the suspects had fled the area in a vehicle registered AS 9664-10, but they were arrested at Tainso.
During questioning, the suspects confirmed the incident at the registration centre, but they were reluctant to tell the whereabouts of Baba Sina who allegedly stabbed the NDC activist.
The police boss said around 9pm the same day, he received a called from the Wenchi Divisional Commander that some NPP activists had besieged the Wenchi police station demanding the release of their candidate and the five others.
According to him, he had to call for reinforcement to assist the police there to clear the crowd before the suspects were finally taken to Sunyani around 11pm.
DCOP Ayalingo explained that Divine, currently in detention, was stabbed by Baba Sina at the Sabie registration centre after the former protested against the registration of some minors at the ongoing biometric registration exercise.
Divine was given first aid at Banda Ahenkro Health Centre and referred to the Wenchi Hospital. On his way to Wenchi, he met the NPP candidate�s Ford vehicle which signalled him to stop.
He said police investigations established that the occupants of the Ford vehicle, who were arrested with the candidate, brutally assaulted him again en route to the hospital after the first incident at the registration centre.
DCOP Ayalingo said, �We don�t care who is involved, anybody who tries to destabilize the peace will be arrested and detained.�
�I will not be deterred by people who go on air to say all things about me and my officers,� he concluded.
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