Former Youth and Sports Minister, Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, who was detained last Saturday by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), has been released on bail pending further investigations.
An officer of the BNI told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that Mr Mensah was questioned about allegations that he incited Nima youths to riot last Friday following the death of 126 fans in a stampede during the league match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko. He could not give further details on the terms of the bail, but said investigations were continuing. Scores of youths from Nima, where many of the victims came from, attacked police and the Nima Police Station on Thursday and Friday in anger at the action of the police that triggered a stampede in which the soccer fans died. They burnt tyres and other items giving police a hard time.
Mr Mensah, said on Sunday that he had begun a hunger strike to protest against his detention. "1 am a prisoner of conscience. I have started a hunger strike," Mr Mensah said, adding "I haven't eaten the whole day. This is not fair."
Mr Mensah, National Youth Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), denied inciting the youth of Nima to riot, saying he was hailed when he went to the 37 Military Hospital with the Parliamentary Committee on Sports.
Meanwhile, the NDC has criticized the BNI for the detention of Mr Mensah and said they were doing everything possible to get his release. However, a BNI official told the Ghana News Agency on Sunday night that the former minister was not on hunger strike. He said Mr Mensah took breakfast and lunch on Sunday. The official said Mr Mensah's wife brought him breakfast around 07:00 hours and lunch later in the afternoon. He described his claim of being on hunger strike as unfounded, saying, "the former Minister ate his meals without any problem".
