[ 2016-05-03 ]

Wontumi to be charged with assault of public officer; set to sleep in cell
New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional
Chairman, Bernard Antwi Bosiako will spend Tuesday
night in police cell after the police called the
bluff of a throng of party supporters demanding
his immediate release

Police say the firebrand NPP leader will be
charged with assault of public officer as stated
in Section 205 of the Criminal Offences Act - 1960
(Act 29):

Whoever-
(a) assaults, obstructs, molests, or resists, or
aids or incites any other person to assault,
obstruct, molest, or resist any public or peace
officer, or any person employed by a public or
peace officer, acting or proceeding to act in the
execution of any public office or duty or in the
execution of any warrant or legal process; or

(b) uses any threatening, abusive, or insulting
language, or sends any threatening or insulting
message, or letter, to any peace officer in
respect of his duties, shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor.

Wontumi allegedly assaulted Manhyia North NPP
Member of Parliament (MP), Collins Owusu Amankwah
and the constituency secretary, Felix Ibrahim last
Sunday during the limited voter registration
exercise in the constituency.

According to reports, Chairman Wontumi slapped and
pushed the MP against a pile of bricks and rained
insults on him. Wontumi, a small scale miner is a
big influence in the Ashanti region, the
opposition party's stronghold.

But thronging to the Kumasi Central police
station, NPP supporters are reading political
meanings into their leader's detention.

Former NPP Asokwa MP and former Kumasi Mayor, Kofi
Jumah was emphatic that Chairman Wontumi’s
detention amounts to “political prosecution”.

“I see no reason why he has been kept there for
that long” the former Asokwa MP Kofi Jumah
indicated.

He said Wontumi turned himself on Tuesday morning
at about 10 a.m. and should have been released.

According to him, there is “absolutely no reason
why he should be kept in police custody for more
than an hour”.

He is concerned that the police partially stripped
Bernard Antwi Boasiako naked after taking off his
shirt.

“You can tell that the police want, to humiliate
him” he said, condemning his detention and
promising that the supporters won’t relent in
their call for their leader’s release.

He told Joy News, more supporters are expected to
besiege the station until their leader is
released.

He said his car is waiting to carry away the NPP
Ashanti Regional Chairman.

Source - Myjoyonline.com

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