The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for the Awutu Senya East Constituency, Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, was over the weekend granted bail by the police after she was arrested for alleged transfer of firearms without authority.
She was arrested together with two others last Friday at the Electoral Commission’s office at Ofaakor, near Kasoa in the Awutu Senya East municipality in the Central Region, but was transferred to Accra and held in police custody overnight at the Cantonments Police Station, Accra.
The NDC’s PC arrest drew condemnation from her constituents and supporters, former President, John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the NDC for the 2024 election, the NDC and leading members of the party, including Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of the NDC, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the party and her family members.
The NDC members and supporters massed up at the Cantonments Police Station where Ms Okunor was detained and demanded her immediate release.
At a press conference organised on Saturday, Mr Nketia alleged that the detention of the NDC Parliamentary candidate for Awutu Senya East was politically motivated.
The NDC National Chairman stated that some senior police officers had told him the arrest of Ms Okunor was “ordered from above”.
The Ghana Police Service had since denied the allegations made by Mr Nketia, describing it as “false and without any basis”.
“The attention of the Ghana Police Service has been drawn to a video in which Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia is heard claiming that the Accra Regional Police Commander, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Inspector-General of Police had indicated to him that the arrest of some three persons for possession of firearms at Ofaakor in the Awutu Senya East Constituency was based on an order from above,” the statement said.
“We would like to categorically state that the claims are false and without any bases. None of the officers mentioned in the video has at any point in time made any such pronouncement.
“We wish to emphasise that all three suspects were arrested when a pump action gun with four rounds of ammunition was found in their vehicle at the offices of the Electoral Commission at Ofaakor in the Awutu Senya East constituency of the Central region. They have subsequently been cautioned and granted bail.”
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
