A Wa circuit court presided over by his Lordship Justice Baah Forson Agyapong has charged the five New Patriotic Party (NPP) members who besieged the Upper West Regional office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) on January 31 with conspiracy to commit crime, assault, threat of harm and stealing.
The suspects have been remanded for a week and will return to court on February 9, 2018.
The five accused persons are Nuhu Suglo, Abdulai Hakim, Osman Kamal, Seidu Salifu Adinan and Bongaamwini Ishahaku.
They were arrested by the police after the suspension of the Upper West Regional Minister, Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan who allegedly prevented the police from arresting the group who launched an attack on the Regional NADMO boss and his security man on Wednesday evening.
Background
At about 5:00 pm on Wednesday, the youth from the Wa East district, numbering about 30, arrived in two pickups and a minibus, and stormed the NADMO office at the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council.
After the police got to the scene of the disturbances and effected the arrest of three persons, the Upper West Regional Minister purportedly ordered the release of the suspects.
He reportedly told the police that” this is a party matter, I will have a meeting with them and get back to you”. After that, the attackers walked home freely.
Following the incident, workers of NADMO declared a strike on Thursday to demand the arrest of the suspects.
They slammed the Regional Minister, whose duty is to protect citizens as the Regional Chairman of the Security Council, for choosing to shield the attackers.
They said the Minister demonstrated no value of their lives, as the attack on the offices of NADMO led to an aide to the NADMO Regional Director being beaten to pulp.
The Regional NADMO Director, Isaac Seidu, who appeared to be the main target of the attack, however escaped unhurt.
Upper West Regional Minister’s suspension
President Akufo-Addo on Thursday suspended the Upper West Regional Minister, Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan from office with immediate effect pending the outcome of an investigation into the alleged attack on the Regional NADMO boss.
A statement by the Director of Communications, Eugene Arhin stated, “The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has suspended, with immediate effect, from office, the Minister for the Upper West Region, Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan, pending the outcome of the investigation into the unfortunate incidents that occurred at the premises of the Upper West Regional office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), in Wa, on Wednesday, 31st January, 2018”.
