By In a statement, Mahama urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the government to acknowledge the critical role of justice in sustaining peace and stability, and he called for the immediate release of Naa Koryoo.
Below is the full post on Facebook by the NDC flag bearer:
There is no justification for the decision by the Inspector General of Police George Dampare, on the orders of the National Security Advisor, Albert Kan Dapaah, to detain a Parliamentary Candidate for the Awutu Senya East Constituency in Police custody.
This action, taken on the instructions of the National Security Secretariat, will needlessly raise the political temperature in the country and spark avoidable tension. The Police Service and the IGP must not allow themselves to be used to hang the peace and stability of our nation months before crucial national elections.
I call on the IGP, the Peace Council, the government, and the people of Ghana to recognise that justice is not just a moral imperative but a crucial prerequisite for maintaining peace and stability in a nation. We cannot allow the police service to be used to stifle opposition and intimidate innocent Ghanaians and political opponents in the run-up to the 2024 elections.
Clearly, the intention to detain her after she had already been granted bail is an attempt to intimidate the NDC Parliamentary candidate in her quest to unseat the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hawa Koomson, in the Awutu Senya East Constituency.
I urge the IGP to urgently reconsider his actions and release Naa Koryoo immediately for the sake of justice and
the stability of our nation.
It is high time the police fulfilled their duty to serve and protect all citizens, irrespective of their
political affiliations. #JusticeForNaaKoryoo #FreeNaaKoryooNow
Context:
On Sunday, June 2, 2024, the Ghana Police Service released a statement announcing the arrest of three individuals in Ofaakor for unauthorized possession of a firearm. Among the suspects were Ms. Okunor, Mustapha Mohammed, and Abdul Aziz Musah. The arrest took place while they were traveling in a Honda CRV vehicle with registration number GX-2044-19 near the Electoral Commission Office in Ofaakor.
During the apprehension, law enforcement officers recovered a pump-action gun containing four rounds of ammunition from the vehicle. However, in an interview on Wednesday, June 5, Ms. Okunor clarified that she was merely invited by the police and not formally detained.
She reiterated that the firearm discovered in her vehicle was legally licensed. Additionally, she explained that she obtained the gun for self-protection, citing previous altercations where she alleged attacks by the incumbent NPP MP and Minister for Fisheries, Hawa Koomson. Ms. Okunor claimed that the police had failed to safeguard her during these incidents, some of which reportedly involved gunshots being fired.
“I have never been arrested. Yes, I was invited to the police station. I was not arrested. I was there because I had to go there.
“My driver was arrested, and my security guard was arrested because a licensed gun was found in my car…It was far away from the registration centre,” she said.
Prior to the arrest concerning the firearm possession, a confrontation occurred between the NDC and NPP at the Electoral Commission’s office in Ofaakor during the ongoing votes transfer exercise. This altercation resulted in the stabbing of Ato Koomson, the son of the incumbent MP and Minister of Fisheries, Hawa Koomson, who was subsequently hospitalized. The individual suspected of perpetrating the stabbing has also been apprehended and is currently in detention.
It remains uncertain whether the subsequent arrest of the NDC Parliamentary Candidate is linked to the stabbing incident or the firearm possession.
