RTU supporters storm radio station; beat presenter

The Vice chairman of the concerned supporters of Real Tamale United football Club, Habid, on Thursday evening led a violent attack on a local radio station forcing a segment to end after manhandling a journalist and destroying Hi Tech equipment, Marketing manager of the station Mohammed Waris confirmed to Starr News.

The supporters aborted a ‘breaking news’ broadcast during a Sports talk show on Tawasul FM in Tamale.

Waris said the supporters claimed the attack was over comments made by the presenter of the show on air while discussing the sinking football Club.

He explained that the journalist announced beforehand about a discussion on a match fixing allegation against management of the club.

He added that while producers were scrambling to contact leaders of the Supporters Union who now manage the Club, and panelists remarking about the allegations, suddenly the vice president and two other muscled men besieged the radio station.

The three angry men stormed the station and with series of leaps darted into the Live Studio and rampaged through allegedly vandalizing broadcast equipment and slapping discussants.

Habid threw insults at the owner of the radio station before targeting the presenter with the abuses and urging the two men to assault him.

Many gadgets including microphones, computers, transmitters and a console were crushed in the attack that went uninterrupted for several minutes.

Real Tamale United has been struggling to find its feet after suffering relegation in the 2013/14 Ghana Football Leagues. It now competes in the GN Bank Division One League occupying the 5th position with 38 points.

The team lost all its sponsors and started the league this year with a board to control affairs. An Interim Management Committee was formed and tasked to manage the team.

All staff of the committee however in July resigned at once over charges of poor performance and violent seizures of properties belonging to the club including the Bus.

The Concerned Supporters Union then took up the club and assumed managerial duties.

The Vice president claimed the journalist said management were offered inducement and are in the process of fixing their incoming match with Nea Salamina FC on Sunday, August 27, 2017.

He alleged the journalist also said management knew the club had a slim chance of making any significant gains in the league and so decided to sell off the match to the Brong Ahafo-based team who is leading the league with 55 points.

The marketing manager denied the claims by the attackers and insisted the presenter announced repeatedly that they were trying to get he (the vice president) for comments about the rumor.Police have been informed and a medical form issued to the presenter for medical care as part of investigations into the attack.