The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has suspended the Municipal Chief Executive Officer for Sekondi-Takoradi, Abdul Mumin Issah.
Read full articleThis was contained in a letter signed by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Dan Botwe.
"On the instructions of the President, the Metropolitan Chief Executive Sekondi-Takoradi Assembly, Mr. Abdul Mumin Issah has been suspended from office with immediate effect pending an inquiry into his encounter with the Police on February 3, 2022.
"Without prejudice to the matter now before court, Government takes a very dim view of the comments made by the Metropolitan Chief Executive during his exchanges with the Police.
"The comments by the Chief Executive run contrary to the Government's belief and work to ensure that our Security Agencies and indeed Public Agencies are resourced, empowered and accorded the respect to deliver on mandates," the statement said in part.
While serving his suspension, the Minister for the Western Region, Kwabena Darko-Mensah, will act, the statement added.
"In the interim, the Hon. Western Regional Minister, Mr. Kwabena Darko-Mensah has been assigned additional supervisory authority ovi Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly," it added.
TWI NEWS
Background:
The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) for Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly was arrested by the Western Regional Police Command on Thursday for an alleged motor traffic offence.
Abdul-Mummin Issah is said to have verbally assaulted a police officer who was performing his lawful duty.
The MCE has been slapped with three charges relating to the following: Assault of a public officer, Offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace and disturbing the peace in a public place contrary to Sections 205, 207 and 298, respectively, of the Criminal and Other Offences Act of 1960, Act 29.
The Command said he has also been charged for dangerous driving contrary to Section 1 of Act 683 of 2004 as amended by Act 761 of 2008.
“The MCE who was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser with registration number GE 5615-20 is alleged to have driven dangerously and carelessly while approaching a police snap checkpoint at the Kwasimintsim cemetery on Wednesday, February 2, 2022.
“When one of the police officers on duty attempted to stop him, he verbally assaulted and threatened him,” the Command said.
He appeared in court and has since been granted a GHc100,000 bail.
But what really happened between the MCE and the Police Officer?
At around 8.30 pm on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, the MCE who was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser with the registration number GE 5615-20 while approaching the police checkpoint decided to move past cars waiting to go through the snap check at the Kwesimintsim cemetery.
Inspector Sarfo Andrews and his team who were at the time on duty stopped the MCE whose flouting of the road regulations nearly led to him nearly hitting the Police Inspector.
In a 20-minute video footage shared by the state-run Graphic Online portal, there was a heated exchange between the MCE and the Police Inspector as the former was heard angrily heaping invectives on the police officer for insisting that he joins the queue like others and wait for his turn.
The MCE attempted to use another officer to convince the Inspector on duty to allow him to go, but he [Inspector] insisted that the MCE’s conduct goes against the law and he deserves to be punished for it.
GhanaWeb, has transcribed some aspects of the exchange between the MCE and the Police Inspector.
MCE: An officer at the cemetery checkpoint says that he won’t allow me to go. I’m still there, he is here talk to him; take it – The MCE was heard talking to someone on phone.
Police: The patrol team is coming to take you to the headquarters for further action.
MCE: Me?
Police: Yes
MCE: Take it (as in the mobile phone and speak to the other officer)
Police: I should take it for what?
MCE: Take it…Patrol team coming to take me?
Police: Yes
MCE: You don’t know whom you are dealing with. Dorcas, he is not prepared to talk to you, he is not prepared to talk to you – The MCE was heard speaking on phone to someone - That is Chief Inspector Dorcas…
Police: I’m saying I’ve called the patrol team; your action, your behaviour, your attitude, have been reported. Wait the patrol team is coming to take you to the headquarters for further action and you will be detained for this, attempting to knock the Police Inspector down, you wait and you are saying I should know the car before you, you, you…
MCE: You are stupid
Police: I am stupid?
MCE: Yea
Police: Good! I will not insult you; I’m a professional police officer and I will not insult you but I will teach you a lesson.
MCE: Professional?
Police: Yes
MCE: You don’t know whom you are dealing with. You will come begging tomorrow, you will come begging tomorrow…leave them make dem do them nonsense…(sic)
Police: Why are you insulting the police? Why are you insulting the police? I am stupid; a whole Police Inspector, I am stupid.
MCE: You, I will send you to Enchi…
Police: It’s a place, police are working there. Transfer is not punishment in police, Transfer is not punishment in police…
MCE: Don’t worry; don’t worry...
Police: You can transfer me to Pawlugu, wherever; my colleagues are there working happily. What are you telling my colleagues who are at Enchi? They are human beings and human beings are staying at Enchi…same human beings who voted for you, they are working there.
MCE: You are lucky, I’m not in my…it’s ok
Police: In your what?
While the exchanges ensued between the MCE and the Police Officer, a third voice was heard telling the police officer, “you don’t know the person you are dealing with?”
Police: Honourable is telling police stupid. I will not insult you back but I will give you all the necessary respect. You can insult me all you can, I will not insult you back; a police officer in uniform telling him stupid; I will not insult you back…just be in the queue safely; just recently heard a colleague of us was knocked down; it is all over in the news…he wanted to knock me down…I should get away for you to go…that you don’t know this car? Honourable, should I know the car before you knock me down? And you are telling the officer stupid. The same people who have been authorised by the same Constitution to work for you, and you are telling him stupid. A police officer in uniform; an Inspector, people who have been mandated to protect you and you are telling him stupid…
MCE: By tomorrow, you will be going to Enchi
Police: Are they not police officers working in Enchi? Are they not human beings who voted for you. You went there to campaign for them to vote for you…so, I should know him before I put him in order…You are not in a convoy, just follow the queue…
MCE: So, if I have seen that there is a space open and there is so much traffic, don’t I have the right to…
Police: What right do you have? You don’t have any right. Just follow like your colleagues are following; just follow…
MCE: You see, you see his attitude?
Another voice was heard telling the police officer that, the MCE can order for them to stop the traffic regulation operation but the Police Inspector insisted that apart from his Regional Commander, he [the MCE] has no right to do so.
MCE: You say, you’ve called the patrol team. Let them come, I will stay till they come and I will change your situation by tomorrow.
Police: Yes, they are coming. You can never change my situation and don’t think the transfer is a punishment. Wherever there is a police station, when you are being sent there, it is not a punishment. Transfer is not a punishment; let me tell you. There are people over there working…and you want to transfer me, you are not a police officer to transfer me…Yea you can snap me, I’m a nice, handsome guy, very nice police officer, you can snap me.
MCE: Ugly guy like you
Police: Ugly guy! Ei, honourable be careful with your choice of words…
MCE: You said, you are handsome and I said you are ugly…