Six executives of Ghana Union Movement (GUM) party have been arrested for allegedly breaching peace and passing eccentric comments against the chiefs and people of Kwaman in the Agona West Constituency.
The arrest followed a protracted misunderstanding between the Founder and Leader of GUM, Osofo Kyereaboso, and the traditional rulers of Kwaman seething since 2017.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Gblorkpor, the Bobikuma District Police Commander, confirmed the arrest to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) but failed to disclose names of those apprehended, citing security reasons.
Osofo Kyereabosom was reported to have gone to the shrine of Kwaman, where rituals were performed for the ‘gods’ on 27 December 2017 to secretly film the shrine.
He was also alleged to have sent some people to Kwaman on Sunday 4th March 2018 and pretended to be a journalist to interview people on the type of factory needed to set up for job and wealth creation for the youth.
He subsequently took pictures and videos of the area.
The videos and pictures taken from the Kwaman shrine and the community were allegedly posted on social media and also shown on a television owned by Osofo Kyereabosom.
This did not go down well with the Chiefs and the people of Kwaman who subsequently instructed their lawyer to write to the National Media Commission and other relevant agencies to ban Osofo Kyereabosom from further telecasting the videos and pictures on TV.
Despite this action, Osofo Kyereabosom allegedly went ahead to show the said videos and pictures on TV, “insulted and maligned” the chiefs and people of Kwaman.
According to DSP Gblorkpor, on Monday December 24, 2019, the people of Kwaman had a hint that a meeting was being held by the some members of the GUM Party without the consent of the Chief and elders who became infuriated.
He said an irate youth of the town rushed to attack the members who were saved by the timely intervention of the chiefs, otherwise, they could have been lynched.
The youth then arrested six of the executives and handed them over to the Police at Bobikuma.
Source: GNA | Ghana