Okatakyie Afrifa, four supporters sustained gunshot injuries during arrest — Campaign Team alleges

The campaign team of New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirant Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah has alleged that he and four of his supporters sustained gunshot injuries during their arrest by police at the Afigya Sekyere East constituency executive election venue.

The incident occurred on Sunday, July 12, after Okatakyie Afrifa visited the venue to verify reports that constituency executive elections were being conducted despite a High Court injunction and a directive from the NPP's National Steering Committee suspending the exercise.

In a statement issued later the same day, the team said that the broadcaster's actions were aimed at serving notice of the court order and the party's directive on election officials and he had no intention of disrupting the process.

"Upon receiving information that the suspended electoral process was being carried out contrary to the directives of the National Party and the subsisting court order, Mr. Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah... proceeded to the election center solely to ascertain for himself firsthand information and to serve notice of the injunction and the National Party's directive on the electoral officials," the statement read in part.

"Okatakyie together with four other members of his team sustained severe gunshot injuries and are currently undergoing treatment," the statement alleged.

The statement further claimed that neither his family nor his lawyers were informed of his whereabouts for several hours following the arrest.

According to the campaign team, Afrifa was later transferred to the Divisional Police Command at Asante Mampong, where he remains in police custody pending further legal processes.

The campaign team further denied suggestions that Afrifa commands a vigilante group, noting he had never operated one and that the supporters with him at the time of the arrest were unarmed.

It called on party supporters and the general public to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while expressing confidence that due process would vindicate Afrifa.