No gunshots marred my Kumasi tour – Sly Mensah

Mr Sylvester Mensah, an aspiring flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has denied media reports that gunshots characterised his campaign tour in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region recently.

The former CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) explained on Accra100.5FM’s Ghana Yensom show on Thursday, 14 February 2019 that if there were any gunshots, then it may have happened after he had ended his tour on that day.

There were reports on Monday that a meeting between delegates of the NDC and Mr Mensah at Suame, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, got marred by gunshots.

The incident allegedly happened at the Tafo Community Centre in the Old Tafo Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

The suspended chairman of the party in the Suame Constituency, Mr Saeed Omar Shaban, accused the former Ashanti Regional Youth Organiser of the Party, Mr Yaw Brogya Genfi of being behind the violence.

He said four Constituency executives approached him and demanded that he release a party car in his possession, to them.

Mr Shaban told Kumasi FM’s Elisha Adarkwah that his assailants engaged him in fisticuffs, leading to the firing of gunshots when he refused to let go of the car.

Mr Genfi, however, has denied the allegation.

Speaking to Kwabena Prah Jnr (The Don) on Accra100.5FM’s Ghana Yensom on Thursday, 14 February 2019, Mr Mensah said he first heard of the news about the supposed gunshots on some WhatsApp platforms.

“The meeting went on very well, it was very successful although it was prolonged. Because it had prolonged, people were in a hurry to go home.”

“There was no gunshot as far as we were there, we never saw any commotion.”

He added: “Perhaps, there was some misunderstanding just at the time our meeting had ended but there was no gunshot. If it happened, then maybe after we had left.”

“I called the Suame Chairman who the reports claimed had been injured from the supposed gunshot and he told me no one had shot him and that he was at home.”