NDC Top Shot Grabbed In Military Operation

By Emmanuel Akli, Takoradi

Accra - The Jomoro Constituency chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nana Alex Asamoah, has been arrested and placed behind bars.

He was arrested at 4am in Tema on November 4, by 50 heavily armed soldiers and handcuffed all the way to the military barracks at Apramdo, near Takoradi, where he was detained.

He was handed over to the Sekondi police the following Saturday. He was still in detention as at the time of filing the report.

Chronicle learnt that the soldiers who arrested him retrieved from his room at Half Assini in the Jomoro district an American made Pump Action six round shot gun and a pistol. They also retrieved another gun from the room of his friend when searched.

No official reason has so far been given for his arrest by such a large number of soldiers and his subsequent detention by the police.

Nana Alex Asamoah himself could not tell reporters why he was arrested in his own words by such a large number of military officers, but believed it must be based on some unsubstantiated allegations made against him to the higher authorities.

The Western Regional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Mr. W.A. Kumi, confirmed the arrest but declined to divulge the reason.

He said he was still trying to contact both the IGP and the Minister of the Interior and that he would let the press know later why the NDC Chairman had been arrested should it become necessary for him to do so.

It would be recalled that in June, this year, there were disturbances at Half Assini, the Jomoro district capital, following the decision by a section of the assembly members to pass a no-confidence vote in the DCE.

In a petition sent to the Regional Minister, the PVC in the district accused Nana Alex Asamoah of being the brain behind the no confidence vote.

In the same month, the Co-operative Fishermen service centre at Half Assini also sent another petition to Mrs. Nkansah to prevail upon Asamoah to pay his alleged ?150billion indebtedness to the union.

According to the petition, the fishermen entrusted the sale of their pre-mix fuel allocation to Asamoah after which he would render accounts after the sale of the product from which he would be paid a commission, which he agreed.

It further said for two and half years, Asamoah refused to render accounts, let alone pay the levies on the sale of coupons to the union in Sekondi.

The petitioners called on the regional minister to investigate how pre-mix fuel meant for the fishermen had been finding its way to La Cote d'Ivoire. The regional minister recently set up a committee to look into the allegation.

Awulae Anno Adjaye III, the Omanhene of Western Nzema Traditional Area, in another petition, sent to the regional minister, warned that Alex Asamoah's so called wealth would not insulate him against the wrath of the good people in the district for his continued disregard of the traditional leadership.