It was needless to announce arrest of arson suspects – Kweku Baako

Political Pundit, Kweku Baako Junior, has described as needless, the announcement by Deputy Information and Media Relations Minister, Murtala Muhammed, of the arrest of arson suspects linked to the recent spate of market fire disasters in Ghana.

“…We’ll have to see the suspects in a Court of law then we will begin to establish if there’s any truth in this point. I don’t see why there was a rush to announce this,” Kweku Baako said.

President John Mahama gave hints of possible arson in some of the seven market fires.

Odododiodoo Member of Parliament, Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, whose constituency has borne the harshest brunt of the fires, categorically put the fires down to arson and invoked curses on the perpetrators.

There’s a forensic team of experts from the US helping local fire and security professionals to investigate the fires.

Already, the Government has put a GHc25,000 bounty on the heads of the suspected arsonists.

The deputy minister’s announcement of the arrest of the arson suspects has raised a lot of suspicions from the opposition side.

Opposition MP for Fanteakwa South, Kofi Okyere Agyekum, told XYZ News the announcement could be a propagandist hoax to justify President Mahama’s suspicions of arson.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Saturday news analysis programme, Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako Junior, wondered which market fires the suspects are linked to.

He said: “there was no need” for that announcement when the suspects are still being screened and have not been put before a Court.

“The regularity of the fires was the basis for them believing that it could be arson…so this suspects, which markets are they linked to?” Kweku Baako queried.

“I wonder, was it the security agencies that gave the clearance for that disclosure? What was the purpose of the disclosure when you are not ready to give further particulars? You don’t give that kind of information out and decide that I’m holding on to some”.