14 Grabbed over Somanya chaos

• Posted on June 1, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The police in the Eastern Region have arrested 14 suspects in connection with Monday’s attack on the Somanya Police Station in the Yilo-Krobo Municipal capital.

The suspects were put before the Koforidua High Court on Tuesday and were remanded into prison custody.

Angry residents of Somanya on Monday went on rampage and vandalized the police station, setting free four alleged rioters who were in cells.

It took the timely intervention of a military and police reinforcement team who fired warning shots to restore law and order.

Tension had been mounting at Somanya after the Sawer Electoral Area assembly man, Dendenden – a supposed ring leader reported to have masterminded last Friday’s demonstration – was arrested and sent to the regional police headquarters.

Two people were injured in the standoff between the police and the residents.

The Regional Police PRO, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh, who confirmed the arrest to DAILY GUIDE, said the police were making more arrests to bring the perpetrators to book.

According to him, the suspects are currently in prison custody assisting in investigations.

The suspects were arrested based on a number of offenses that were perpetrated, including rioting, causing damage, aiding the escape of suspects from lawful custody and causing unlawful harm.

Some of the residents, DAILY GUIDE gathered, sustained injuries, and properties belonging to the state were destroyed.

The unplanned demonstration was to protest against the ‘outrageously’ high utility bills charged the residents by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

ASP Ebenezer Tetteh said the assembly member was being held in custody for “unlawful damage” and demonstrating without a permit, adding that he would be prosecuted if investigation revealed “incontrovertible evidence” against him.

“You can imagine that if the police had not taken the action, other people elsewhere would have done same…we are going to ensure that those who are planning attacks are clamped down,” he assured.

He claimed the troubled town was calm upon the deployment of police reinforcement from Akosombo and Koforidua, assuring that adequate security measures had been put in place to forestall further breach of the peace in the area.

According to him, four suspected criminals namely, Kwesi Danso, remanded for allegedly defrauding by false pretenses; Kwesi Amoako, Nicholas Tetteh and Tetteh Damatey – both of who have been charged for stealing – were detained by the police but were freed by the irate youth.

But the Yilo Krobo Member of Parliament, Magnus Kofi Amoatey, said the police were to blame for what happened in the area.

“Clearly, the police were not ready for the attack that came today [Monday],” he said, adding that the law enforcers should have prepared before launching the operation.

From Daniel Bampoe, Koforidua