Police in the Ashanti North Region have confirmed that media personality Okatakyie Kwame Afrifa Mensah and another suspect are on admission at the Mampong Government Hospital under police guard following disturbances during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Ejura Sekyedumase East Constituency executive elections at Wiamoase.
According to a statement issued by the Ashanti North Regional Police Command on Monday, July 13, Kwame Afrifa Mensah, 43, and another suspect, Osman Awuni, 44, complained of ill health after their arrest on Sunday, July 12, and were admitted for treatment.
“The two suspects remain under police guard while receiving treatment. Investigations are ongoing, and the public will be updated on any further developments,” the police statement said.
Police said Kwame Afrifa Mensah was arrested together with six other suspects after a violent disruption at the SDA Church polling station, where the constituency elections were being held.
The Command alleged that at about 7:45 a.m., Kwame Afrifa Mensah led a group of about 30 men to the polling station. When security personnel questioned the group’s presence, they allegedly became aggressive, attacked police officers, and disrupted the electoral process by throwing electoral materials onto the ground.
Police said the remaining members of the group fled the scene, adding that efforts are underway to arrest them.
Preliminary investigations, according to the police, indicate that Kwame Afrifa Mensah claimed some of his supporters had been sidelined in the electoral process and that he had secured an interlocutory injunction to halt the elections.
However, the police said neither they nor the Electoral Commission had received any court order or injunction directing that the elections be suspended.
The statement said calm was restored after police intervention, allowing voting to resume under adequate security.
“The election ended peacefully at about 4:00 p.m., after which the Electoral Commission duly declared the results,” the police stated.
The Ashanti North Regional Police Command said investigations are ongoing and assured the public that further updates would be provided as the case progresses.
