Joseph Yammin, Yamoah Ponko interrogated over NDC office 'killing'

Former deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Joseph Yammin and former Ejisu Municipal Chief Executive, Afrifa Yamoah Ponko have become persons of interest in last Monday’s shooting incident at the regional office of the National Democratic Congress in Kumasi which resulted in the death of one person and injury to one other person.

The Ashanti Regional Police Command on Tuesday invited the two leading members of the opposition political party for interrogation.

The two, as part of investigations into the shooting incident had their homes searched by the police.

Graphic Online’s Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor reported from Kumasi that the Police are still on a manhunt for four other suspects and have since declared them wanted.

They are Hussein Barnabas alias Warrior believed to be the one who pulled the trigger, Damos, Mijima and Abu Taliban.

Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor reported that the police deployed officers to the house of Afrifa Yamoah Ponkoh, who was at the scene when the incident occurred on Monday.

The policemen were deployed to his house to invite him for questioning.

The team also conducted a search in his house.

Reacting to the police invitation, Mr Yamoah Ponko told journalists that, “this morning at around 9am, two cars loaded with policemen came to my house and told me that the regional commander wanted to see me. I asked them to take the lead that I would come later but they insisted on going with me.”

He said he did not argue with them and just changed and followed them to the regional office.

However, he said before that, the police wanted to search his house and “I inquired from them if they had a search warrant."

"They could not produce one but I allowed them to search the house and they did not even see a mosquito.”

According to him, they had a fruitful discussion and his statement was taken.

“I have been arrested and I have not been charged for anything and not on any bail,” he stated.

Donkor also reported that Joseph Yammin on his part was also invited for questioning and his house was also searched.

Yammin is said to be the one who formed the pro NDC vigilante group, the Hawks.

Background

On Monday, a meeting at the Ashanti regional office of the NDC turned bloody when some unidentified men suspected to be members of the Hawks, a pro NDC vigilante group, opened fire on members of the Regional Task Force of the party.

One person who has been identified as Wassis Idris, a 30-year-old scrap dealer and a member of the task force, was shot and killed while another one, Abdul Rahman, received gunshot wounds.

After the shooting, the members fled using motorbikes.

Read also: One shot dead in scuffle at NDC party office in Kumasi