Police in the Ashanti North Region have confirmed the arrest of media personality 'Okatakyie' Kwame Afrifa Mensah and six others following disturbances during the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Ejura Sekyedumase East Constituency executive elections at Wiamoase.
According to a police statement issued on July 13, the incident occurred on Sunday, July 12, at about 7:45 am, when Kwame Afrifa Mensah, aged 43, led a group of about 30 men to the polling station at the SDA Church.
The statement said that when security personnel engaged the group to ascertain the purpose of their presence, they allegedly became aggressive, attacked the police, and disrupted the electoral process by throwing electoral materials onto the ground. The suspected ringleader, Afrifa Mensah, together with six others, were arrested to assist with investigations, while the remaining members of the group escaped. Efforts are underway to arrest the other suspects.
Preliminary Police investigations indicate that Afrifa Mensah claimed that some of his supporters had been sidelined in the electoral process and that he had obtained an interlocutory injunction to halt the elections. However, neither the Electoral Commission nor the Police received any court order or injunction directing that the elections be suspended.
Following police intervention, calm was restored, and voting resumed under adequate security. The election ended peacefully at about 4:00 pm, after which the Electoral Commission duly declared the results.
The Police statement said later on the same day, Afrifa Mensah and another suspect, Osman Awuni, aged 44, complained of ill health and were taken to the Mampong Government Hospital, where they 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.
