Asawase arrests was not political – Police tells Muntaka

The Ashanti Regional Police Command has dismissed claims by the National Democratic Congress in Asawase that there is partisan profiling in the arrests made in the area on Sunday.

Member of Parliament for the area Muntaka Mubarak has claimed the ten people who were arrested by the Police were based on their affiliation to the NDC.

“It is becoming difficult that since the voters’ registration exercise, you will be there and they will just arrest your agents without any good reason. We go to the police station and bail the person. In the night they came to arrest those people but the police is telling us they were looking for some suspects in a robbery case and they heard they were around the said area,” the lawmaker told the media. after the arrests on Sunday.

Reacting to the claim, the Ashanti regional Police PRO said the arrests were made on professional police intelligence.

“We are doing our work professionally in making sure those perpetrating these robberies are dealt with. It’s unfortunate the MP [Muntaka Mubarak] is making that statement because we don’t arrest people based on party colors. I think when need be, the MP [Muntaka Mubarak] might be called. If there’s a need for him to help with investigations, we’ll invite him,” he told Francis on the Morning Starr Monday.

Background

Members of the NDC besieged the Ashanti regional police command after ten of their members were arrested by Police after a party event.

The NDC activists were arrested by the anti-robbery squad of the Ghana police service in front of the office of the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr Muntaka Mubarak, at Aboabo Police Office, after returning from campaign activities on Saturday, October 25, 2020.

The reason for their arrest is unknown, but the Member of Parliament for the area said they were picked up for allegedly being robbery suspects.

Mr Mubarak told Starr News some regional executives of the party, including the regional organiser, Esham Alhassan, the regional Chairman, Augustus Andrews Nana Kwasi, and the Regional Secretary, Kwame Zu, have gone to the police headquarters over the matter.

He said he has met with the regional police commander and has promised to grant them bail after their statements have been taken.

“It is becoming difficult that since the voters’ registration exercise, you will be there and they will just arrest your agents without any good reason. We go to the police station and bail the person. In the night they came to arrest those people but the police is telling us they were looking for some suspects in a robbery case and they heard they were around the said area,” he added.