National Democratic Congress’ candidate in the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election Delali Kwasi Brempong has denied assertions by leadership of the National Security Council and the Ghana Police Service’s SWAT Unit that there were arms kept in his house prior to the by-election.
Mr. Delali Brempong made this known when he appeared before the Commission of Inquiry investigating incidents of violence which took place during the by-election on January 31, 2019.
Minister of National Security Albert Kan-Dapaah had told the Commission that they had intelligence some fire arms were being kept in the residence of the NDC candidate, and that it was based on this intelligence that men from the National Security were at the residence to investigate.
The presence of these men, who were masked and armed, led to some altercations in the area leading to the shooting of some persons at Mr. Brempong’s residence.
But speaking to the allegation that there were arms in his house, Mr. Brempong said there was no such thing.
“I want to put it on record that in my life, I have never lawfully or unlawfully acquired any firearms.
“And I also want it on record before the Commission that I am a pharmacist by profession, and I would have no business at all acquiring firearms, because there is no use for arms in the practice of Pharmacy.
“And I am also under oath to protect human lives because my job as a pharmacist is to find remedies for people who are unwell,” Mr. Brempong explained to members of the Commission.
He also said as at the time he stepped out of his house on the day of the by-election and returned, there was no sign of fire arms in his house.
“There was no evidence that anyone had brought any arms to my house. I’m yet to know why men in black T-shirts and brown trousers would come and wound my innocent supporters.”
Narrating his account of incidents which took place at his residence, Mr. Brempong said he was not home when the incident occurred, but he had a call from his son, who was at home then, that some men had come around and were firing arms.
“I left home about 7 in the morning to visit some polling stations to convince myself that my polling agents were at post. About an hour later, my son called to know where I was, and that there were visitors trooping in, even some parliamentarians who wanted to speak to me or to see me.
“After about 15 to 20 minutes, he called again and said where are you, and I said I was just leaving Meteo towards the house and he said daddy don’t come home because he had heard some struggle, and that he heard some shooting when he was in the bathroom and that there was a lot of noise around the house and that he will advise I don’t come home.”
According to Mr. Brempong, he then drove back home, but the men had left when he arrived, and that he saw blood stains in front of his house, and gun marks on his wall.
By Irene Amesimeku|3news.com|Ghana