Accra, Ghana//-The 2024 Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama today called on the Ghana Police Service as a matter of urgency to release the detained NDC Parliamentary Candidate (PC) for the Awutu Senya East Constituency in the Central Region, Madam Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor.
In a Facebook post on Friday evening, June 7, Mr Mahama said: “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.”
This is what Mr Mahama posted on his Facebook page
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.
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.
No reason
NDC’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi said no reason was given by the police for the arrest and subsequent detention of Madam Okunor.
He described the development as an attempt to silence the NDC which the party will resist.
Details
Giving the details about the circumstances that led to the detention of the party’s MP hopeful, Mr Gyamfi explained: “Her offence is simply that a weapon (gun) was found in her car. The said weapon is registered in her name. All the necessary registration documents have been submitted to the Police.
“Unlike, Hawa Koomson who in 2020 fired a gun at a registration centre, Naa Koryoo has not fired any gun or weapon. Yet, the …Police service is hell-bent on detaining her.”
He therefore called on all supporters of the NDC to throng the Cantonments Police Station in Accra where Naa Koryoo Okunor has been detained.
Background
The Ghana Police Service on Sunday, June 2, 2024, issued a statement alleging that three individuals were arrested at Ofaakor for possession of a firearm without lawful authority.
The suspects, including Madam Okunor, Mustapha Mohammed, and Abdul Aziz Musah, were apprehended while onboard a Honda CRV car with registration number GX-2044-19 near the Electoral Commission Office at Ofaakor.
During the arrest, a pump-action gun with four rounds of ammunition was retrieved from the vehicle. However, in an interview on Wednesday, June 5, Ms Okunor emphasised that she was only invited by the police and not formally arrested, the statement said.
