Amenfi East NPP parliamentary candidate arrested over 'beat up any unauthorized soldiers, police' comment

The Ghana Police Service has reportedly arrested the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Amenfi East Constituency in the Western Region, Ernest Frimpong, over his 'beat up any unauthorized soldier, police' comment.

According to a report by myjoyonline.com, the NPP parliamentary candidate wrote his statement at the police station in Tarkwa on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, following his arrest.

The Chairman of the Municipal Security Council for Amenfi East, Frederick Korankye, confirmed the arrest to JoyNews.

He indicated that Ernest Frimpong was in the custody of the police and was seeking bail.

"He is seeking bail; he went there with a lawyer to grant him a police inquiry bail in the meantime, and then maybe he will be reporting himself the next day," the chairman is quoted as having said.

Background:

The parliamentary candidate for Amenfi East was captured in a video calling for assaults on soldiers and other security officials who attempt to hinder the activities of small-scale miners.

In the video sighted by GhanaWeb, the candidate is seen addressing a group of small-scale miners in the area, making the following statement:

"Operation halt, galamstop, whatever, whatever, soldiers that ambush you, we have cancelled all those operations, and officially they do not have permission to run such operations again.

"So, if anyone comes to your site, you have the right to question him on his mission there," he told the miners in the Twi language.

"If he says he is on patrol, then that is good because the patrol by the police and the security services protects you and reduces the incidents of robbery. So, if from your own will you part ways with 3 million, 5 million, or 10 million for him to use for fuel, you are just helping him, and I won't speak against it," he added.

"But if anyone comes around and says, 'Because he is a soldier, leave the site and dismantle your machines,' don't be moved by the uniform he is wearing. If he beats you, equally beat him. Fight him; I will come to your defense," he charged the miners to rousing applause.

The exact date when the video was taken is unknown.

However, the candidate, who spoke in the presence of the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, and some party executives in the region, defended his call by reiterating that no official operation has been sanctioned for soldiers to stop illegal mining activities.

"As I said, the authority which he could use to arrest you has been seized; hence, if you are doing illegal [mining] and he wants to arrest you, he is also engaging in an illegality, so you should also arrest him," he added.

Speaking in an interview with ChannelOne News, on Monday, June 10, 2024, the NPP parliamentary candidate indicated that he still stands by his comment for miners to reciprocate any form of assault meted out to them.

According to him, he advised the small-scale miners because they were being terrorized by unauthorized security officials who came to extort money from them.

He clarified that he was telling the miners to beat up unauthorized security officials who attacked them.

"I did not say when they see a man in uniform they should confront them. I said those who are sanctioned for operations, we know them, the miners know them, and we also know them. Those who are not sanctioned, we also know them because when they are sanctioned, they come with an official car.

"But people come with Land Cruisers and Prados, rented cars to come and extort money. So, question them. When you question them and they beat you, retaliate because they are not authorized. That is what I said. I did not say attack them because you have seen them. I said when they beat you. Please, the video is there for clarification," the parliamentary candidate said.

BAI/NOQ

Watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below:





Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.