Election disrupted by arrests

Hohoe, Dec 28, GNA - Voting at Wli-Agorviefe and Wli-Afegame in the Hohoe-North Constituency got disrupted for three hours following the arrest of three men in relation to a domestic incident. Eyewitnesses said soldiers stationed at the Ghana/Togo border at Wli had arrested Yaw Situ, 24, a farmer, for beating his wife. Edem Sapaty, 34, a teacher, and Samuel Agor were also arrested for protesting and commenting on the arrest of Situ.

The arrest and alleged beating of the three by the soldiers drew the people from the polling stations and homes in the two communities to the streets in anger. Eyewitnesses said youths of the two communities were marching towards the soldiers but were held back when warning shots were fired to keep them at bay.

The people blocked the Wli/Hohoe road to prevent the soldiers from taking they had arrested to Hohoe. It took Togbe Osei II, Chief of Wli-Afegame, and his elders 45 minutes of discussions with the soldiers, Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) officials and the police to have those arrested released for the elections to resume. Togbe Osei who spoke to the GNA urged the soldiers to take it easy with the people and for the people to also exercise restraint to ensure incident-free election.