The National Security operative who assaulted the Member of Parliament (MP) of Ningo Prampram, Sam George has apologised for his actions during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence.
Mohammed Sulemana told the Emile Short Commission that “if I had known that this was an MP, I would never have done that. I was guilty of what I did. I regretted all I did. Whenever you err or offend somebody, what you need to say is I am sorry, I will not do that again.”
He, however, said he was provoked by ethnocentric insults allegedly uttered by the MP “the moment he saw my tribal marks.”
He was speaking in Accra yesterday when he appeared before the Commission of Inquiry on the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence to testify.
In a video which went viral on both traditional media and social media platforms, Mr Sulemana was seen inthe video descending from a pick-up after which he slapped Mr George.
Narrating what transpired on the day, he said Sam George “was shouting around the place” and “that is why I came down to knock him.”
At the time, he stated that he was not aware that Sam George was an MP saying that “even if he is in front of me, I cannot recognise him.”
“I did not know him. I did not know he is an MP. What he was doing and the way he was acting didn’t make him seem like a Member of Parliament.”
Mr Sulemana noted that he was forced to go into hiding because his actions traumatised him.
As part of his roles as a National Security operative, he said he was to assist with the arrest of people during operations.
On the day of the by-election, Mr George was seen in the widely circulated video shouting at the National Security operatives in a parked vehicle, claiming they had murdered a man in his house.
It was during the exchange that he stepped out of the parked pick-up truck to slap the MP.
Mr George told the commission he was then punched by another person in uniform suspected to be part of the security team.
Another victim, Ishau Yaro, appealed to the commission to help in establishing events leading to his injury for justice to prevail.
Addressing a press conference, Secretary to the Commission, Ernest Kofi Abotsi, reiterated the commission’s commitment to ensure a fair report that would represent all the testimonies received during the sitting.
By Claude Nyarko Adams
