The Member of Parliament for Odododiodoo, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, plans to petition Parliament after he was allegedly assaulted by National Security operatives.
“I will officially send a petition to the office of Parliament, to the Speaker of Parliament, because I am a Member of Parliament and my privileges have been insulted,” he said on the Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News.
The MP recounted that he was attacked in front of the James Town Police station after he had gone to help a journalist he commissioned for some work who had been detained by police.
The journalist was getting footage of an ongoing project for a documentary but was purportedly detained on “orders from above,” according to Mr. Vanderpuye.
At the James Town Police Station, a group of men, including the men he says were with National Security, arrived and soon began beating him and his aide.
“They came straight to us saying leave here and all of a sudden punches to my chest and one of them came from behind and one other came on my research assistant.”
He said he was also punched and slapped in the face.
Police eventually intervened and provided refuge in one of the police station’s offices.
The journalist was later released on bail and they were escorted by police to a polyclinic at around 1:45 am.
Mr. Vanderpuye refuted suggestions he was associated with his attackers saying “they have never worked for me” though he admitted to having helped some of them through some legal challenges in the past.
He further accused the Parliamentary Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nii Lante Bannerman, of being behind the attack.
“He fully endorses what these people have done. I have listened to him on various networks. He fully endorses what the people have done.”
Commenting on the incident on the same show, Mr. Bannerman rubbished suggestions that he was behind the attack.
He also said, “what happened has nothing to do with politics”.
Mr. Bannerman claims the assailants were people scorned by Mr. Vanderpuye.
“The people are saying they have issues with you [Mr. Vanderpuye]. They have scores to settle with you. They have worked for you. You have used them from 2012 and 2016 and you have not rewarded them. You have not taken care of them and all that.”
In the meantime, Mr. Bannerman said the NPP was working to calm tensions.
“I have called Lord Commey, I have called a couple of people to help talk to these boys. If this is what they are going to do we are not going to condone it,” he said.
