NPP Women Freed

The two New Patriotic Party (NPP) ladies in the Sunyani West constituency who were thrown into prison by the Fiapre Circuit Court on Monday for allegedly insulting a women�s organiser of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have finally regained their freedom. Rita Oppong and Ivy Oforiwaa, both NPP polling station executives at Odumasi near Sunyani, were remanded into prison custody for three days by the court presided over by Benjamin Osei Yaw after Akua Kyeremaa aka Neene, the Sunyani West NDC Women�s Organizer, caused their arrest for allegedly insulting her. However, the same court granted the suspects bail yesterday and adjourned the case to March 27. The dramatic arrest of Rita and Ivy and their subsequent incarceration by the court has left tongues wagging as many residents are wondering whether the ordinary Ghanaian is guaranteed social justice. The NDC women�s organiser, who is reported to have said that she would use her political position to arrest vociferous NPP women so as to prevent them from campaigning and participating in the crucial December elections, has vowed to cause the arrest of many more NPP women in the constituency in the coming days because she claimed to have succeeded in her first attempt. Rita and Ivy were arrested on February 23 at Odomase and kept in police cells for several hours before they were granted bail. They were re-arrested and detained again for some time the next day when they reported at the police station. They told Daily Guide they were innocent of the said charges preferred against them by the NDC women�s organiser, who is said to have been bragging that she had the police and other people in high authority at her side and could therefore go any length to punish her political opponents.