Assaulted Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam George wants the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to be truthful in disseminating information on the circumstances that led to the disturbances during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
Government officials including National Security Minister and Deputy Information Minister have said that Sam George was at the center of the incident that triggered the gunfire at La Bawaleshie, leading to several persons getting injured.
But Sam George says the claims are to tarnish his image hence, should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Samuel Nartey George, was assaulted by some security personnel believed to be members of the SWAT team of the Ghana Police Service at the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency.
Mr. Sam George was seen in a video shouting at the security personnel in a parked vehicle, claiming they wanted to kill a man in his house.
This is connected to the incident which occurred at the La Bawaleshie polling station constituency where some groups of persons were shot by unknown gunmen, disrupting the voting process.
However speaking on the Big Issue, the outspoken NDC legislator said allegations that he incited the violence are unfounded and has threatened to take legal actions against the government particularly, Pius Enam Hadzide, Deputy Minister of Information for peddling falsehood against him.
“It appears this is the new line of communication by the ruling government. Let me state without any equivocation that they ought to tell the people the truth. At no point in time did I even move with a driver on the day of the election. I drove myself; I was alone not even to talk of moving with 25 motorbikes. That is a lie and I expect better from government.”
“This lie was put out first and foremost by Bryan Acheampong, Minister of state in charge of national security. This is wrong, if this government has been complicit in the assault of a sitting Member of Parliament and after 48 hours identify the horrendous who perpetrated the act, they should not seek to denigrate me. I am serving notice, if that statement is not retracted and an apology rendered, I will be suing the Deputy Minister of Information because he may have to show prove and evidence that I arrived there with those people. We deserve better from the Minister, they can run down my integrity like that, he disclosed.
Assault on Sam George wrong; it will be investigated – Bryan Acheampong
The Minister of State in-charge-of National Security, Bryan Acheampong, has said his outfit will look into the incident where the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam George, was assaulted during the violence that erupted at the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
Mr. Acheampong described the incident as quite unfortunate, and said he has since spoken to the MP, saying, “I assured him that we were going to investigate the matter and the report will be shared with him.”
“I condemn the entire incident and I can assure that we will review the case. We will interview all persons involved and if there is any action that has to be taken, that action will be taken.”
But Mr. Acheampong also gave his account of what led to the confusion that marred the by-election.
“There were 15 motorbikes that came to a particular polling station led by Sam George,” he said.
When they came there, the MP for Ablekuma Central, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, reportedly told Sam George and the men on motorbikes to leave the area.
They left to a house near a polling station where they started firing, Mr. Acheampong narrated.
“Nine people came out of the house and started hurling stones at the security men that got there. They rounded them up. The resisted arrest, some of them got injured and these nine were sent to the police station.”
“Mr. Acheampong noted that the motorbikes had been barred from the vicinity of the polling stations.
“We have a situation where 15 motorbikes were led by an honorable member of Parliament to a particular polling station,” the Minister said.
