Cynthia Morrison, the Member of Parliament for Agona West, has refuted any involvement of her supporters in a gunfire incident that erupted during a campaign rally in Agona West on Sunday, October 28.
In an interview with Citi News’ Central Regional Correspondent, Calvis Tetteh, the Agona West MP stressed that her supporters were not responsible for the gunfire that injured one person and sparked widespread panic at the event.
The incident reportedly occurred when supporters of Chris Arthur, a parliamentary aspirant for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), were returning from a campaign launch held in Otinkorang, a locality within Agona West. While en route, they encountered a group of Cynthia Morrison’s supporters, who were conducting a separate mini-rally at Agona Nyankrom.
As the groups crossed paths, gunshots rang out, injuring Haruna Rashid, who serves as the campaign manager for Chris Arthur. Rashid sustained a gunshot wound to his ribs and was immediately transported to the Agona Swedru Government Hospital for medical attention. Other individuals with minor injuries were also taken to the hospital amid the ensuing chaos.
Morrison stated that she was unaware of the gunfire when it happened, mentioning that she did not hear the shots and only learned of the incident afterwards.
“At a point, the police told me that they put me in the car. So I just slipped through and then sat in and asked what was happening. They said it was a gunshot. I didn’t hear the gunshot actually because the [sound] system was closer to where I was standing.
“So I sat in the car, my driver, my security reversed, and then we were asked not to go through the same road that we came from.
“That was the directive of the police, so we had to go through the outskirts. Then I heard that some people had been injured, so they were sent to the polyclinic.”
“How can it be from my camp? I was having a rally. I got permission from the police. They gave us 27 policemen in their van and they directed me to exactly where I should be. Anywhere we turn, we see a policewoman, turn left, and they will ask us to turn left.
“We have to tell where they will ask us to turn. They had mapped everything for us to go. I did not even have the itinerary. They did the itinerary,” the MP further explained.
The Central Regional Police Command has since launched an investigation into the events, with Morrison expressing her hope that the authorities would resolve the matter quickly and ensure that it does not escalate further.
In light of rising tensions, residents and supporters in Agona West are calling for calm and are urging all parties to engage in peaceful campaigning as the election period approaches.
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