Seth Kwame Acheampong, the Eastern Regional Minister, says additional police officers have been assigned to the Kwahu Bepong community in response to assaults on the Bepong Chief’s palace and local police officers.
The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has currently apprehended 71 individuals suspected of involvement in these attacks.
These suspects, along with others who are still at large, launched an attack on the Bepong Chief’s Palace on February 4, 2024, resulting in injuries to seven individuals, including five police officers.
Speaking in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness on Monday, Mr Acheampong said, “We have deployed more police personnel into the community because there is some level of fear and panic present.”
“But it is all to help us sanitize the environment and get the bad nuts out so that the peace-loving and peaceful (people) will be able to go about their duties freely without any fear.”
Background
Two people were reported dead after allegedly being hit by stray bullets fired by the police during the melee to disperse the ruthless crowd.
According to sources, the incident occurred at the chief’s palace where the police had gone to rescue an alleged suspect accused of murdering two people at Adwumasu, a farming community in the Kwahu South Municipality.
The suspect, 23-year-old Kwasi Tenkorang, is said to be an ex-convict who, according to sources, raped and murdered a 45-year-old woman, Akua Kyerewaa.
A 65-year-old brother of the victim, Kwasi Antwi, who attempted to rescue his sister during the act, was also hit on the head with a metal bar, resulting in his instant death.
An eyewitness whose name was only given as Frederick, and who was on his way to the farm, narrowly escaped death after witnessing the incident and being chased by the suspect.
The suspect, who has been on the run since the incident, was arrested on Sunday, February 4th, and taken to the chief’s palace.
Members of the community who learned of the arrest stormed the palace, demanding his immediate release for instant justice, but the police, who were called in, prevented it from happening.
However, when the Police prevented them from lynching the suspect, they rather attacked the Police, throwing stones and other implements at them.
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