DCE's machomen beat up policewoman and journalist

Adansi West, Obuasi -- Machomen alleged to be loyal to the Adansi West District chief executive, who recently assaulted an assemblyman and a policewoman, have struck again.

This time, their victim was the presenter of the Morning Show programme on the local Shaft FM station, Edward Kwasi Akuoko for airing the story about the assault on the policewoman.


The latest attack was said to have happened in front of the DCE, Mr. Joseph Boampong, only few days after he had expressed dissatisfaction about the report by Mr. Akuoku.


A human rights group, the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM), and some supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have accused the DCE of using the machomen against his perceived enemies.


The Obuasi Central Police told The Chronicle that those involved in the attack on the policewoman had been prosecuted while the case of the radio presenter was still being investigated.


According to some supporters of the ruling NPP, it was not the first time such incidents had happened in the area.

They said the DCE was in the habit of using the machomen to intimidate his political opponents and those who criticized him publicly and at party meetings.


They cited the attack on the assemblyman, Ofosu Donkor and others who were chased out from one of NPP meetings, as examples.


The radio presenter, who narrated his ordeal to The Chronicle, said a few days after the story about the assault on the policewoman had been broadcast the DCE came to express his misgivings.


Later Akuoko said he was engaged in a conversation with the head of the works committee in the area after closing from a meeting at the Methodist School grounds when he was confronted by a group of Machomen, led by one Fuseini on the report on the policewoman.


He said he felt threatened by the group so he approached the DCE, who was standing by, to complain to him but he only told him to ignore them.

He said the response of the DCE confirmed his suspicion that the attack was a planned.


Akuoku said his appeal to the DCE did not stop his attackers from beating him up, adding that two Good Samaritans saved him and escorted him away, amid threats by the attackers to ?finish? him at the appropriate time.


He said he had, on one occasion appealed to the DCE to bring the men, who had publicly declared to take on his (DCE) opponents, to justice but he had failed to act.


When the DCE was contacted, he confirmed both incidents but said he had nothing to do with them.


According to him it was true that the incident involving the radio presenter happened a few meters away from him, but said he was at the time engaged in a conversation so he advised the journalist to ignore the group.

He also admitted commenting on the story about the attack on the policewoman but did not accept that, that amounted to an expression of dissatisfaction.


On his relationship with the machomen, he said: ?They are free with me, but I have told them to stop but they would not listen.?


He told The Chronicle that he had decided to distance himself from them.