Police at Asokwa in Kumasi are holding five people, including a reverend minister, for allegedly attempting to murder the chief of Pakyi Number One in the Ashanti Region.
Pastor Kwabena Boateng, the key suspect and his accomplices reportedly shot and wounded Nana Gyamfi Mensah-Bonsu’s driver on Tuesday night on the Kumasi-Obuasi Road.
The victim, Yaw Donkor, who was hit in the head and neck has since been treated and discharged from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Other suspects are Obiri Yeboah, Kwadwo Adasi, Kwabena Wireko and Kwabena Badu.
Police say the suspects had targeted the chief but misfired because he was himself driving the four-wheel drive Ford vehicle at the time of the attack, with the driver beside him in the front passenger seat.
The suspects who were in a taxi cab had trailed and crossed the chief’s vehicle.
It is unclear what motivated the assassination attempt, but police say they are not ruling out chieftaincy or land disputes, as they begin investigation.
Asokwa District Commander, Superintendent Samuel Nyamekye Adane-Ameyaw says police would probe circumstances that led to a shooting incident, after a failed attempt last night to arrest the perpetrators.
“Because it was night, even though we combed the whole area, we couldn’t find anything [suspects]. But we rushed the victims to the hospital. Luckily it was only a passenger who is an aid to the chief was caught by the pellets. They are all out of danger,” Superintendent Adane-Ameyaw revealed.
The five suspects have been remanded in police custody by a Magistrate’s Court at Kuntenase.
Superintended Adane-Ameyaw says police will do everything to protect Nana Mensah-Bonsu and his family, taking a cue from recent murders connected to chieftaincy at various places.
Paramount Chief of Seikwa, Nana Kwaku Gyimah Ankoana was shot and killed in November last year as he relaxed in a porch in his private residence after several attempts on his life.
Forty-five-year-old Simms Adu-Gyamfi and his wife, Georgina, alias Yaa Kyerewaa, 42, were also shot at close range in front of their house at Twedie just after alighting from their vehicle about 9 p.m. in September 2012.
The killing was linked to a chieftaincy dispute at Twedie near Pakyi in which Nana Adu-Gyamfi was said to be a key player.
He was said to have received numerous threats on his life by some members of one of the opposing factions.
“When it comes to such a situation, we need to do a lot of things because the issues coming up may be either a chieftaincy issue, a land issue; sometimes allegations against chiefs which of course could be false or true. And police need to probe very well into all these areas. We need to always give such people proper security and we can assure you that we are going to do that,” Mr. Adane-Ameyaw said.
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