The Member of Parliament for the Awutu Senya East Constituency and Minister of State for Special Development Initiatives – Mavis Hawa Koomson has admitted firing gunshots at a voter registration center in the area.
Confrontation at a registration center in the constituency on Monday, July 20, 2020, led to gunshots being fired and motorbikes being burnt. Hawa Koomson subsequently confessed on Accra-based Adom FM that she fired the warning shot in self-defense.
Reports suggest that Electoral Commission (EC) officials fled from the scene following the altercation.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused Hawa Koomson of being behind the violence in the area.
“When I got the information that people were being bused from some places into my constituency, I couldn’t sit down for people to come and register in my constituency and elect an MP for the people of Kasoa…I work with men because I can’t work with women alone in this political enterprise. None of my men had guns on them when we got to the center, I fired the shots myself. Yes, I gave those warning shots to protect myself,” she said.
Meanwhile, four individuals have been arrested after the shooting incident.
The Kasoa Divisional Police Commander, COP Charles Koosono indicated that the suspects will be transferred to the Regional Police Headquarters in Cape Coast for further action.
“This morning, around 9 am, we had information that there was a confrontation between some people at a registration center. When we got there, we realized that three motorbikes had been burnt. We arrested four people in connection with the happening at the registration center. We have seized one gun. We are now investigating the issue.”
The Police Commander said they are still investigating to understand what triggered the confrontation.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has also condemned the disturbances at the voter registration center.
According to a statement from the Commission, some of its officials were attacked by men who disrupted the registration process by firing shots.
“The Commission condemns such acts during a civil exercise like the Registration of Voters and calls on security agencies to investigate the issue as a matter of urgency to bring the perpetrators to book.”
“These acts constitute a breach of the Vigilante and Related Offenses Act, 2019 Act 999. The Act seeks to disband violent activities of Political Parties and makes political vigilantism an offense punishable by a prison term.”
In a related development, Security expert Prof Kwesi Aning has said Mavis Hawa Koomson does not deserve a position of trust and must resign as Special Development Initiatives Minister.
“It is my hope that the President will ask Hawa Koomson to step aside or probably dismiss her” Security expert said. This situation, he believes has influenced people’s decision to resort to violence at the least provocation.
His comment comes on the back of the admission by the minister of act at a voter registration centre in Awutu-Senya East Constituency in the Central Region.
The Ghana Police Service is currently investigating the event and assures the public of its readiness to bring perpetrators to book.
