Illegal weapons possession: Embattled Savelugu MP not witch-hunted – Sulley Sambian

Secretary for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the North-East Region of Ghana Lawyer Sulley Sambian has indicated that claims of witch-hunting the Member of Parliament(MP) for Savelugu are unfounded.

Member of Parliament(MP) for the Savelegu Constituency Alhaji Jacob Iddrisu has been indicted to stand trial at the Tamale High Court for possession of firearms without lawful excuse contrary to section 192 of the Criminal Offences Act.

He has been indicted alongside one Naa Mohammed Ahmed, who the Chief of Duko and charged with two counts

His statement of offense according to information available to MyNewsGh.com is the possession of ammunition without lawful excuse contrary to section 192 (1) of Criminal offenses Act, 1960 (Act 29).

It could be remembered that In December 2020 while members of the National Democratic Congress were in a jubilant mood, there was gunfire that led to the death of a 17-year-old girl.

However, members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Northern Region have argued that the government is witch-hunting Hon. Alhaji Jacob Iddrisu and smearing him with a criminal offense so as to trigger a by-election.

But commenting on this development, Lawyer Sulley Sambian indicated that there is no witch-hunting but rather the law is taking its due course.

He explained that the fact that there is an election petition pending does not bar the state from prosecuting the MP whose office ammunitions were found by personnel of the Ghana Police Service during the 2020 election.

“You remember there was a shooting incident in Savelegu after the 2020 December elections leading to the death of a young girl. Regrettable as the death was, the NDC quickly started very wild propaganda accusing the NPP of the death of this young innocent girl. The police acting on a tip-off discovered arms hidden in the office of the MP. From the prosecution’s standpoint, the MP was in possession of the room or shop in which the AK47 was found".

"Indeed he had earlier agreed to come open the shop but later declined. The question is: how could he be in possession of the key if the room was not for him? As a matter of fact, the landlord even mentioned him as the one to whom the room was rented,” he said when MyNewsGh.com reached him on the matter.

Adding that “again the MP’s legitimacy as having been properly elected is a matter of contest before the high court tamale. Those arguing that the instant criminal prosecution of the MP amounts to witch-hunting should equally be looking at the bigger picture of the people’s interests and the right of the former MP to challenge the results like he’s doing. Mind you, the fact that there is an election petition pending does not bar the state from prosecuting the MP. The two cases are different: one is a criminal offence, the other is a civil case involving two civilians and a state institution, namely the electoral commission”.