Police grab minister's men

Two Executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Mfantsiman West constituency, who were declared wanted on Friday by an Accra Fast Track High Court for contempt, were arrested and granted bail yesterday by the same court. The Constituency Secretary, Mr. K. Aduako Mensah was arrested in Saltpond while the 1st Vice Chairman, Felix Antwi was arrested in Mankessim where he resides, and they were sent to Accra to face trial in the morning. They were later bailed by Mr. Alex Quainoo, Counsel for the Information and National Orientation Minister, Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, aka Asabee, who is also included in the contempt suit.

The suit was filed by an Accra based lawyer, Mr. Kweku Yamoah Paintsil who is seeking the disqualification of the Minister from standing election as the party's Parliamentary Candidate for the Mfantsiman West constituency.

The arrest was executed by the Chief Bailiff and the police at the Accra Fast Track Court.

The Chronicle learnt that a Polling Station chairman, Kweku Adu, who had previously been allegedly victimised by the constituency vice chairman, directed the police to the houses of the executives, where they were hand-cuffed and slammed into the police van, for the journey to Accra.

Kweku Adu was famously defiant to the National Democratic Congress in 2001, when the party's flag bearer visited Mankessim and Adu hung an effigy of an elephant to tease the NDC, an action that earned him a term in police cells. A Paintsil loyalist, Adu struck when Hon Asamoah Boateng's van, carrying goodies passed by him, and he helped himself to a television set, after he was accused of 'not being one of them'.

According to Mr. Arhin, the Constituency Organiser, Adu's arrest was caused by the first Vice chairman for that act, so he is still nursing bitterness following those experiences.

Chronicle yesterday reported that the warrant was granted by the presiding judge, Justice E. Amoako Asante, following the failure of the two to show up in court on July 17, 2008, after being served with contempt charges.

Asabee and party Chairman, Peter Mac Manu have all been joined in the contempt suit alongside the substantive case. Lawyer Paintsil filed the contempt charges when the defendants jointly and severally flouted the orders of the court, which barred Asabee and the other defendants from holding and representing him as the Parliamentary Candidate for the area.

He was emphatic that Asabee has inundated the entire Mfantsiman constituency with his campaign posters, a copy of which he said would be shown to the court on the hearing of this application, adding that these posters were intended to demonstrate to the electorate that the incumbent MP was the party's Parliamentary Candidate for the impending national elections, notwithstanding the court's action.

He reiterated his claim that all the defendants visited some towns and communities in the Mfantsiman West constituency and openly and publicly campaigned for the incumbent by introducing him as the duly elected or nominated candidate of the NPP, for the impending parliamentary election and requested that the electorate should vote for him.

Lawyer Paintsil is seeking among other things multiple relief's in the substantive suit, the disqualification of the Minister for camping delegates and bribing.

This, he said, was at variance to the practice and directive given by the New Patriotic Party to guide all Parliamentary Candidates.