Police arrests assemblyman for attacking Chief's emissaries

Nsawam (E/R), Aug. 22, GNA 96The Nsawam Police has arrested Mr Emmanuel Otto Bekoe, Assemblyman for Panpansokrokese Electoral Area, near Nsawam for allegedly attacking emissaries sent by the Chief of the area, Barima Ansah Mankatah V,. The Chief had sent them to demarcate his land at Panpansokrokese in the Akuapem South Municipality.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Panpansokrokese, in the Eastern Region, Barima Ansah Mankatah said last Tuesday, August 16, 2011 he asked a surveyor and three other persons to demarcate his land and while they were on their way the assemblyman and his group attacked them.

Barima Ansah Mankatah said his people returned to report the matter to him and he in turned made a report at the Nsawam Police. When the GNA contacted the Nsawam Police to ascertain the matter, the Nsawam Police Commander, Superintendent Samuel Buabeng confirmed the arrest of the assemblyman and that investigation is ongoing to arrest the other accomplices.

The people of Panpansokrokese on Saturday staged a two-hour demonstration, calling for the removal of the assemblyman for disrespecting the chiefs and people of the area. The leader of the demonstrators, Mr Philip Quarshie later told the GNA that the assemblyman does not respect the Chief of Panpansokrokese, who also has about 20 communities under his jurisdiction.

He said the assemblyman uses his position to harass the inhabitants in the area with unwarranted arrest and detentions whiles the society lacked basic social amenities such as school structures, roads, boreholes, clinic and electricity.

Mr Quarshie appealed to the Akuapem South Municipal Assembly to assist them to remove the assemblyman for the area. Meanwhile the Assemblyman had denied the allegations saying that, he had a fracas with some people and lodged a complaint with the police, and that whiles on his farm he was attacked by a group of people, and the police managed to arrest them.

He said:"they elected me as their assemblyman and if they think I have done any wrong, they can pursue the matter in the law courts and I am ready for them.