PPP Doubts Police Ability To Probe Adams's Murder

 Nii Allotey Brew Hammond addressing the media.

The Progressive People's Party (PPP) seems to doubt the ability of the Ghana police to investigate the acid attack on Alhaji Adams Mahama, Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to the PPP, even though it trusts the ability of the police administration in investigating certain acts of violence in the country, it (PPP) doubts if the police can fairly and honestly investigate crimes at the intra or inter-political party level.

'… the outcome of investigations into similar crimes dressed in political party colours in our recent past gives the PPP the impression that this murder case might travel the same path,' according to the PPP.

It has therefore urged the police administration to conduct what it has described as an honest investigation into the incidents leading to the untimely death of the NPP stalwart.

The National Chairman of the PPP, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond, made the appeal on Friday at a press conference held at the party headquarters in Accra to condemn the acid attack on Mr. Mahama, which eventually resulted in his sudden death.

Mr. Brew Hammond said, 'As the facts show, pouring of corrosive acid on the NPP Regional Chairman by two men, resulting in his death, is a clear case of murder which should trigger the process of investigations, arrests, prosecution and punishment of the perpetrators to serve as a deterrent to others who might contemplate the commission of such crimes in future.'

According to him, the deceased's murderers must be made to face the full rigors of the law.

Politically Motivated Crime
Mr. Brew Hammond described the killing of Alhaji Adams Mahama as a 'politically motivated crime' which he argued formed part of the 'internal power struggle for the spine and soul of the opposition NPP.'

Winner-Takes-All
He blamed the continuous power struggles and political violence in the country to the 'winner-takes-all' system of governance, calling for its abolition.

'The use of violence by NDC and NPP to settle intra and          inter-party disputes, most often with the full approval of their leaders, can be traced to the nation's governance system of 'winner-takes-all' which makes government sweet and opposition bitter,' he said.

The PPP extended its condolences to the wife, children, family of the deceased and sympathized with the NPP as a party.

It would be recalled that Mr. Mahama died at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital on Thursday morning after he was attacked with acid by two unknown assailants close to his residence when he was said to be returning home from his construction site.

A man believed to be the younger brother of NPP's National Chairman, Paul Afoko, whose name the Adams reportedly disclosed as one of his attackers before his demise, has been arrested.

Gregory Afoko, an ex-convict, was immediately arrested by the police after the attack and his other alleged accomplice - one Asagba who is believed to be a member of the opposition party in the region - had vanished into thin air as at press time yesterday.

BY Melvin Tarlue