{"id":592100,"date":"2019-02-15T19:15:41","date_gmt":"2019-02-15T19:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"

Bryan Acheampong, a Minister of State in-charge of National Security, has been criticised following the shooting incident<\/p>

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Minority Spokespers"},"modified":"2019-02-15T19:15:41","modified_gmt":"2019-02-15T19:15:41","slug":"by-election-violence-bryan-acheampong-must-step-down-agalga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2019\/02\/15\/by-election-violence-bryan-acheampong-must-step-down-agalga\/","title":{"rendered":"By-election violence: Bryan Acheampong must step down \u2013 Agalga"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Bryan Acheampong, a Minister of State in-charge of National Security, has been criticised following the shooting incident<\/p>\n

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Minority Spokesperson on Defence and Interior, James Agalga, has called for the Minister of State in-charge of National Security, Bryan Acheampong, to step aside ahead of findings of a probe into last week\u2019s shooting incident during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.<\/span><\/p>\n

The police said in a statement Tuesday that it has expanded a committee to investigate the incident to cover the professional and criminal conduct of persons involved.<\/span><\/p>\n

The statement signed by ACP David Eklu, Director General of Public Affairs, said ACP Mr George Tweneboah, Deputy-Director-General, heads the investigation committee.<\/span><\/p>\n

Police said top personnel from the Police Professional Standards Bureau, Police Legal and Prosecution Directorate, Police Operations, as well as detectives from the Police Crime Scene Unit and Airport Division, have joined the probe to unravel the widely condemned incident.<\/span><\/p>\n

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So far, 16 victims of the shooting incident, including a Member of Parliament, have been interrogated. <\/span><\/p>\n

Despite these efforts, Mr James Agalga, who is also National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Builsa North in the Upper East Region, said police have a daunting task in unravelling the violent attack that marred the by-election if Mr Acheampong remains at post.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr Acheampong told Joy News\u2019 on Saturday<\/b> that the National Security Task Force \u2013 which comprised of police, military officers and security personnel \u2013 is typically deployed to each presidential and parliamentary candidate\u2019s home leading up to elections. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is standard protocol to do this so that we can protect every candidate,\u201d he justified the deployment of the masked security personnel, adding, \u201cwe also receive intelligence information and we track, trace and neutralise where needed\u2026\u201d he explained.<\/span><\/p>\n

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However, he did not know that just hours into the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election on Thursday, dozens of armed men wearing black masks and \u201cNSC\u201d shirts would rampage the home of NDC\u2019s National Chairman, Delali Brempong, where the violence took place.<\/span><\/p>\n

Official communication from police said six persons sustained gunshot wounds although this number has been disputed by some eyewitnesses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking on PM Express <\/b>Tuesday evening, Mr Agalga said the justification for the deployment of the masked security personnel by Mr Acheampong is a clear indication that bringing the perpetrators of the violence to book would prove daunting.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t begrudge the police because the task they have been assigned is Herculean one. How can the police investigate their own boss? Bryan Acheampong is their boss\u2026while Bryan Acheampong remains in office, how is it possible for the police to subject him to proper interrogation?\u201d he quizzed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"James<\/p>\n

Photo: James Agalga<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n

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Nobody should be above the law in Ghana, Mr Agalga noted, but says, \u201cit appears Bryan Acheampong is above the law. If Bryan Acheampong is not above the law, he wouldn\u2019t deploy armed thugs, goons to visit violence on innocent civilians who went out there on election day to cast their votes?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

New system<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Deputy Majority Whip, Mathew Nyindam, who was also on the show, said considering that by-elections have always been violent, there was the need for a second look at the system.<\/p>\n

\"Mathew<\/p>\n

He said instead of holding elections for a new parliamentarian when a sitting MPs pass away before their tenure, there should be internal elections within the party they represented.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose by-elections don\u2019t help us and they come with violence…\u201d Mr Nyindam said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Minority has refused to recognise the new MP for the Ayawaso West Wuogon, Lydia Alhassan.<\/p>\n

They walked out of Parliament on Tuesday <\/b>when she was being sworn-in because, in the words of James Agalga, \u201cher hands are soiled with the innocent blood of Ghanaians who were shot at without any provocation\u201d during the by-election.<\/p>\n

The Ayawaso West Wuogon seat became vacant following the death of Emmanuel Agyarko last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Watch the full PM Express below.<\/b><\/p>\n