News:
May 9, 2013
The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South in the Ashante Region, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has denied ever knowing the two men shot in broad day-light in Kumasi on Wednesday.
According to him, rumours in the media that one of the victims was his personal body guard during the 2012 elections is utterly false, as he has absolutely no links with the said young men and cannot even identify them if they are presented before him.
The two men died from gunshot and machete wounds inflicted by unknown assailants at Ashtown, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
The two, one of whom died while being transported to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the other on arrival at the hospital, have been identified as Victor Ocran and Kwadwo Asamoah, also known as Gauso.
Giving a background to the incident, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Yussif Tanko, the Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional Police Command said Asamoah was said to have led a gang to attack some persons in the area during the house to house campaign tour of Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Member of Parliament for Manhyia South prior to the 2012 elections.
The attack left some people seriously injured and were admitted at KATH. The police suspect the attack could be a reprisal attack for the late November, 2012 incident at the nearby Manhyia South constituency and said suggestions that the killings were politically motivated were farfetched.
But speaking on Okay FM on Thursday morning, Hon. Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh affirmed that the unfortunate incident was purely criminal and not political, since the assailants and the victims had an axe to grind for the past five years.
He sympathized with the bereaved families and urged restraint on the part of both factions to ensure peaceful co-existence in the area.
Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh