Assemblyman arrested for burning tollbooth

An assemblyman accused of masterminding the burning of a tollbooth at Fiapre, near Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region, has been arrested by the Municipal Police Command.

Mark Tetteh who is a known New Patriotic Party sympathiser and Assemblyman for Dumasua Electoral Area is accused of leading a group of NPP supporters last Friday to burn the tollbooth after the party’s presidential candidate was declared winner in the December 7 general elections.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was arrested Monday morning at about 10:30, and is being processed for court, TV’s Larry Paa Kwasi Moses reported.

The declaration of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the winner sparked wild jubilation across the country Friday night with reports of attacks on some supporters of National Democratic Congress, and destruction of some state properties.

Mark Tetteh was said to have during jubilation at Fiapre, gone to the Fiapre tollbooth along the Sunyani -Berekum road, to order the attendants to move out for him to take over the management of the place.

Eyewitnesses say the in-charge demanded for a letter from the Ghana Highways Authority giving him the authority to take over the place, which Mark Tetteh failed to produce. He left the place and later returned with large crowd of party supporters holding gallons of petrol.

They ordered the attendants to move out, which they readily complied with, paving the way for the crowd to set the tollbooth ablaze. Eyewitness, mostly hawkers around the tollbooth, later told Police investigators it was Tetteh who led the gang to torch the tollbooth , our correspondent reported.

The Police mounted a search for him until Monday when he was arrested. He is expected to be charged with causing unlawful damage to state property.