Voters Register: 13 Alleged NDC Thugs Arrested In Mankessim

About 13 suspected thugs and landguards believed to be working for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Central region have been rounded up by the police.

The suspects who are alleged to be linked to a Member of Parliament were arrested and put behind bars.

They were arrested by a joint military-Police taskforce on Sunday, July 26, 2020, at their hideout in YAN Guest House in Mankesim following a tip-off by the security operatives.

They were sent to the Central Regional Police Command but were later brought back to Mankesim where a search was conducted in the rooms they were occupying in the guest house.

Some military accouterment and other items were retrieved in the process.

The suspects have since been sent to the Central Regional Police Command for further investigations.

The group is said to be henchmen of the NDC MP have since the beginning of the ongoing voters registration exercise, allegedly been terrorizing prospective registrants, especially, those perceived to be members and sympathizers of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), from registering in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam constituency and adjourning constituencies as well.

They have been moving in and out of the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam constituency to avoid being identified and reported to the Police for arrest.

The YAN Guest house has been their base where they initiate their nefarious activities.

On Wednesday, July 8, 2020, the group were said to have attacked and prevented perceived members and sympathizers of the NPP from registering at one of the polling stations where the voters registration exercise was being carried out.

That same day, the group were said to have aided the escape of the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam constituency NDC Youth Organizer from another polling station after firing some gun shots to scare off perceived members and sympathizers of NPP from registering.

Some of the these macho men and landguards, are said to have masterminded the attacks on the Minister for Special Initiatives and Development and MP for Awutu Senya East constituency, Mavis Hawa Koomson.

Some residents say their MP has a history of violent attacks on members and sympathizers of the NPP during situations like this.

For example, during the 2016 electioneering campaign, one Mr. Okyere, a known NPP executive member in the constituency who was having a meeting with some members of the party was allegedly attacked by the said MP’s henchmen. In the process, his car and some belonging of the party members were allegedly burnt into ashes.

Sources in the constituency say residents and security operatives have had a very torrid time monitoring the group to cause their arrest for unleashing terror on them.

Their movements in Mankesim also became very suspicious, with some informants within the enclave where the YAN Guest house is located, alerting the Police on Saturday night that one of the political parties had bussed and camped about 100 people in the guest house who were seeking to register in the ongoing voters registration exercise.

A joint military-police taskforce were quickly dispatched to the guest house where they were met with the shocking revelation that the suspects were rather macho men and land guards who were allegedly working for NDC MP, who is a former deputy Minister.

Eyewitnesses say the hoodlums initially tried to resist arrest but later gave in with the exception of their leader named Ali who locked himself up for over an hour before surrendering to the security personnel.

According to our sources inside the police, Ali while indoors, placed several calls to his sponsors and other NDC apparatchiks in the region and other places to inform them about their arrest.

The Central Regional NDC Chairman, together with some other executives of the party, were reported, made several attempts on Sunday, July 26, 2020, to secure bail for the hoodlums but to no avail.

The thugs, sources say will be sent to court on Monday, July 27, 2020, where they are expected to be remanded in police custody to assist with further investigations.

---Daily Guide