We’ve no confidence in the police – Napo's lawyer flares up

Nana Yaw Osei, the lawyer for Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Manhyia, has stated emphatically that none of the numerous plots against his client’s life will be reported to the police for investigation.

During his interview with Joy FM’s Evans Mensah on Top Story Monday, Mr. Osei seemed certain making a complaint would be a waste of time because he reported several earlier clashes to the police but they have not made progress in their investigations.

For that reason, he said, “we have not reported anything to the police yet …we do not have any confidence [in them] for now”.

He claimed that Dr. Prempeh, popularly known as Napo, was the target of a Thursday attack in Ashtown but is now being investigated for his role in the incident. He reported that the police have searched “every nook and cranny” of Napo’s house, asking, “what sort of investigation is that?”

Media reports have alleged that the attack was carried out on an NDC supporter by NPP supporters accompanying Dr. Prempeh as he went door to door to campaign and meet with constituents.

Dr. Prempeh was arrested Friday in connection with the Thursday confrontation and subsequently released on bail. Meanwhile, the MP also stands accused of sending life threatening text messages to the CEO of the Food and Drugs Board, Dr. Stephen Opuni.

In one of the messages, he accused Dr. Opuni of plotting to assassinate him and of collaborating with NDC functionaries to cause chaos in Kumasi and other NPP strongholds. Dr. Opuni has denied the allegations.

But Mr. Osei insisted that, “Dr. Prempeh has reasons to believe that some people, including Dr. Opuni, plotted his assassination” about four months ago. He said that when his client first heard of the plot, he interpreted it as a political gimmick until the recent Ashtown shooting.

Asked why the MP chose to send the messages to Dr. Opuni instead of going to the police, Mr. Osei maintained that, “we will not go to the police, but as to whether we will just go to the police as a matter of compulsion, that one is not an option now.”

He added that, “there is nothing threatening about the text message[s],” that Dr. Prempeh sent to Dr. Opuni.

He also warned that, “if indeed people are still having the plans of attacking the Hon. Member of Parliament, then everybody cannot be safe because he has supporters.”

He noted that his client is moving forward with his campaign but has beefed up his security detail.