Month: April 2012

The embattled Member of Parliament of Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong, has been granted bail.

A Human Rights Court on Thursday morning granted him bail with two sureties in the sum of GH¢ 200,000, but the treason charge against him holds.

Hon. Kennedy Agyepong who was released on health grounds is reported to have high blood pressure following his three-day detention in Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) cells.

He was also granted bail because he is a Member of Parliament.

The firebrand NPP MP has been in police custody since Monday following his inciting comments calling on Akans to wage reprisal attacks on Ewes and Gas declaring war in the process, following some brutalities that have characterized the ongoing biometric registration especially in Odododiodioo.

His legal team was unsuccessful in their attempt to secure bail for him during his first appearance at courts on Wednesday.

Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The outspoken New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Asikuma-Odobeng –Brakwa, PC Appiah Ofori has condemned the inflammatory comments by his fellow MP for Assin North Kennedy Agyepong.

According to him, the statement by Kennedy which has the potential of creating ethnic tension and destabilizing the peace of the country must not be supported by any well meaning NPP member.

The MP for Assin North is reported to have stated on his own radio station Oman FM last Friday that if Gas are beating Ashantes and not allowing Ashantes to register at Odododiodioo in Accra as part of the ongoing biometric voter registration exercise, then Ewes in Ashante region will also be beaten and denied the right to register, a statement that the police finds very unfortunate and so invited him for questioning which resulted in his subsequent arrest.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosi sen programme on Tuesday afternoon, Hon. PC Appiah Ofori appealed to the authorities concerned to caution and pardon the acerbic tongue MP for his comments which are untenable.

He noted that Kennedy Agyepong made those unfortunate comments on his own behalf and not with the support of the NPP and urged all party members to join him in condemning the inciting remarks.

“ We all know how Kennedy Agyepong speaks his heart out on several issues, this latest comment of his is in bad taste and must not be encouraged by anybody’’ PC Appiah said.

Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

Mrs Elizabeth Amoah Tetteh, Deputy Minister of Education, has said that despite her defeat at the NDC primaries, she will continue to support the party to win in the coming elections.

“But we have to work hand in hand to win the election and help the President to pursue his better Ghana Agenda”.

Mrs Amoah Tetteh, who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Twifo Ati Morkwa, said this when speaking at a press conference to set records straight on a number of unfounded allegations leveled against her by Mr Samuel Ato Ahmoah, the parliamentary aspirant.

Nana Sam Brew Butler, Vice Chairman of the Central Region Management conflict Committee and his team had intervened after the press conference, to settle a misunderstanding that had erupted between the two as a result of the allegations raised against the MP.

He had appealed to them to bury their differences and unite and work as a team to win the 2012 General Elections.

Mr Ato Ahmoah accepted his fault and rendered apology to the Minister for accusing her wrongly during and after the primaries.

Among the allegations leveled against her were that she was sponsoring the independent candidate, Mr Ringo Gotta to contest alongside Mr Ahmoah to cause the latter’s defeat in the 2012 general elections.

The parliamentary aspirant among others also accused her of being selfish and greedy on a local FM station, “Arise” at Twifo Praso in the Twifo-Hemang-Lower-Denkyira district.

Mrs Tetteh refuted the allegations during the press conference saying as a victim of electoral defeat who lost the bid by a margin of two votes to the aspirant, “I know how it feels but I have to put the interest of the party first”.

“I know it will take collective efforts of all of us to ensure that NDC retains the virgin seat since 1992 to 2012”.

She explained that her vision to promote quality education stems of the fact that it leads to quality life and in this regard rehabilitated most of the dilapidated schools in the constituency with her share of the common fund when she won the seat in 2004.

She said from 2004 she had used her share of the common fund to sponsor students in Senior High Schools including the aspirant’s nephew at Twifo Praso Senior High School.

She said she has a list of projects and students who have benefitted from the common fund and added that if she was a greedy and selfish leader, she would not have used her common fund judiciously to better the lot of people in his constituency.

As of now she said, she will support the funding of development projects with the aim of improving the quality of life in the constituency.

GNA

The beleaguered Member of Parliament for Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong, will today be arraigned before an Accra High Court to be formally charged with treason.

The firebrand Legislator has been in the custody of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) over the last 48 hours after he was invited by the police for interrogation about his inciting comments on radio.

Hon. Kennedy Agyepong during an interview on his own radio station, Oman FM, in Accra last week Friday, stated that if Gas are beating Ashantes and not allowing Ashantes to register at Odododiodioo in Accra as part of the ongoing biometric voter registration exercise, then Ewes in Ashante region will also be beaten and denied the right to register, and that he was declaring war.

His party the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has distanced itself from the provocative comments by the MP saying it is against ethnic division while several civil society organizations have equally condemned the unsavory remarks.

If found guilty, Hon. Agyapong could face the death penalty.

Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

Lawyers of the embattled Member of Parliament for Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong are expected to appear in an Accra Human Rights Court to seek bail for the Legislator who has been in police grips for the past three (3) days.

His team of lawyers failed to secure his bail on his first day in court Wednesday.

The firebrand MP was arrested following his inciting and treasonable comments on radio to the effect that if Gas are beating Ashantes and not allowing Ashantes to register at Odododiodioo in Accra as part of the ongoing biometric voter registration exercise, then Ewes in Ashante region will also be beaten and denied the right to register, and that he was declaring war.

The Adjabeng Magistrate Court in Accra presided over by her Worship Patricia Quansah whom the beleaguered MP appeared before on Wednesday referred the treason case against Mr. Agyapong to the Chief Justice for advice.

His team of lawyers expects their client to be granted bail as they enter the application.

Ahead of his appearance in court this morning, supporters of the New Patriotic Party have thronged the premises of the superior courts in solidarity with the under-pressure law maker.

The police on the other hand have ensured heavy security at the area to prevent any eventually that might occur.

Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Assin North, Kennedy Agyepong is still in police grips almost twenty four (24) hours after he was invited to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters to assist the police investigate comments he made on radio which is deemed to be treasonable.

The acerbic tongue MP was invited on Monday by the CID to answer questions on comments he made on his own radio station Oman FM last Friday which the police consider has the potential of igniting ethic tension in the country.

He is also reported to have said he will organise supporters of the main opposition party to defend themselves because the law enforcement agents have failed to protect them.

It is however not clear how long the legislator who is now “cooling off’’ in BNI cells is going to spend in the custody of the security agency, as his bail attempt yesterday was denied following a supposed “order from above’’ to keep him for a much longer time.

The police had to fire tear gas and pepper spray (OC spray – capsicum spray) to disperse the incensed NPP supporters who had gathered at the Police CID Headquarters throughout Monday night demanding his release.

There are unconfirmed reports of the death of two NPP supporters while several others received various degrees of injuries in their attempt to flee the police action.

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The Minority Leader of Parliament, Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, says it will be wrong for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong to be charged with treason for declaring war in his comments on radio last Friday.

According to him, persons within the ruling party including the first gentleman of the land President John Evans Atta Mills and current deputy minister of Tourism, Baba Jamal in recent past have made similar statements which flew without even questioning the personalities on what they said.

The firebrand legislator was arrested by the CID on Monday by the CID to answer questions on comments he made on his own radio station Oman FM last Friday which the police consider has the potential of igniting ethic tension in the country.

He is also reported to have said that if Gas are beating Ashantes and not allowing Ashantes to register in Accra as part of the ongoing biometric voter registration exercise, then Ewes in Ashante region will also be beaten and denied the right to register, a statement that the police finds very unfortunate which has the tendency to create ethnic tension and reprisal attacks in Ghana.

Speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo programme on Tuesday, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, states that though he is not hastily defending the MP’s comment justice must be seen to done to all manner of persons irrespective of their political affiliation.

“We heard Hon. Baba Jamal declaring jihad in the run-up to the December general election, that was a serious statement but know one arrested him, Nii Lante Vanderpuye the Director of Operations at the Castle just last week said he was not going to allow non-residents of Odododiodioo to register and that he will resist any such attempt with his blood, he wasn’t picked up by the police? He is walking a free man’’ he said.

He urged President Mills not to be protective of his officials who err but ensure that he is even in applying the law to ensure long lasting peace before, during and after the elections in December.

Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The MP for Mfantseman East, George Kuntu–Blankson has presented a cheque for GH¢48.000.00 to the elders and people of Ekumfi Obidan, a farming community in the Central Region to support the construction of a teachers’ bungalow being undertaken by the community.

The amount which is part of the MP’s share of the Ghana Education Trust Fund was in line with a promise he made to the people last year during a ceremony to raise funds for the project.

The construction of a teachers’ quarters forms part of several interventions being undertaken by the community to address falling standards of education in the area.

The project is particularly aimed at easing the burden of teachers who commute for about three-and-a-half miles daily to and from work, a situation noted to have affected the overall performance of school children.

Newly posted teachers either refuse posting or those who accept, go to school tired each day from walking long distances.

Last year the community held a meeting to discuss issues of education and development during which it came to light that for the past 20 years only two Junior High School students from the community made it to the Senior High School level.

The situation was attributed to the absence of teachers in the community which gave room for school children to roam aimlessly. However, the entire community was alarmed by the revelation and the danger it portends for the future of the community, compelling them to initiate urgent actions to reverse the trend.

Presenting the cheque, the MP said though he lost the primaries to represent the people in parliament in the forthcoming elections, he would continue to use his rich experience in parliament to serve the people.

Receiving the cheque, the Ag. Regent of the village, Nana Kweku Badu thanked the MP for honoring his promise. He also appealed to corporate entities, philanthropists, embassies and high commissions and government agencies as well as non-governmental organizations to support the project.

The community had early on benefited from a new JHS classroom block through the MP’s common fund.

On his part the assembly member of the Emissano Electoral Area, Joseph Morrison urged the people to provide community labour for the project .