The Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency, Francis-Xavier Sosu, escaped another arrest today [Sunday], October 31, 2021, at the Believers House of Prayer Ministries in Madina.
According to party supporters who massed up at the church, the security personnel surrounded the church in an attempt to arrest the lawyer while he was worshipping in the church on Sunday.
Speaking to Citi News, the Madina Constituency Secretary for NDC, Abdul Razak Husseine, said the MP was taken to an undisclosed location by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mabarak.
He said the national and regional leadership of the party has taken over the matter.
“They didn’t have any arrest warrant, and the officer said he is a senior officer and so does not need any arrest warrant. We pleaded with them that it is more like a rambo-style arrest, so they should leave so that we come over with the MP after church service, but the police officers insisted and said they were under an order that they should arrest him. He later said they would like to wait after the church service to arrest him.”
“We had NDC parliamentary leaders around coming to assist in the situation… For now, we have been able to prevent any arrest from here. Now it is the leadership at the national and regional that have taken over,” he said.
While leading a demonstration with some youth in his constituency last Monday, Francis-Xavier Sosu had to escape after police officers attempted to forcibly arrest him.
It is believed that the basis for his arrest was the fact that some demonstrating youth blocked some roads, which were later removed following the MP’s intervention.
The MP later filed a complaint against the police in parliament.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, referred the complaint against two police personnel to the Privileges Committee of Parliament.
The officers cited in Mr. Sosu’s complaint were ACP Isaac Kojo Asante, the Greater Accra Regional Operations Commander, and ACP Eric Winful, the Adenta Divisional Commander.
Though protestors had blocked roads, Mr. Sosu said there was no basis for any arrest because he had followed due process.
“There was a letter of protest and demonstration. The public protest comes in all kinds of ways,” he said.
The MP insisted that the protest was in accordance with the Public Order Act and did not warrant his attempted arrest and manhandling by the police.
