Injured Kotoko supporter was hit by a rubber bullet - Police

Preliminary investigations by the Ashanti Regional Police command indicates that the Asante Kotoko supporter, who sustained gun-shot wounds in the eye, following a shooting incident at the Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, on Sunday, January 12, was hit by a stray rubber bullet.

The GNA Sports gathered that the interdicted policeman at the centre of the shooting incident fired a rubber bullet, not a live one, in an attempt to disperse the marauding and aggrieved supporters.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Godwin Ahianyo, in-charge of the Regional Police Public Affairs Unit, confirming this said they were determined to get to the bottom of the issue and promised transparency in the investigations.

Augustine Opare, a 26-year old commercial driver and father of two, was hit in the eye allegedly by a stray bullet when police on duty at the Stadium tried to quell a demonstrating crowd.

This was after Kotoko had lost 0-1 to visiting Berekum Chelsea in a matchday three fixture of the 2019/2020 Ghana Premier League (GPL).

In the ensuing incident, the teeming supporters besieged the VIP section of the Stadium amidst throwing of sachet water, of which the police responded with warning shots.

The mayhem was sparked by what the supporters described as biased officiating on the part of referee Charles Bulu, which saw their idol club losing the encounter.

The injured supporter, who bled profusely, is currently receiving treatment at the Emergency Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), after falling unconscious from the incident.