STILL ON THE AKOOKO CLASH

Deputy Eastern Regional Police commander, ACP James Azumah Abass, has admitted his men fired live ammunition to disperse demonstrators at Akyem Akooko, but said they did so in self-defence.
According to him, residents of the Eastern Region town attacked police and a fetish priest with dangerous weapons.
“We fired because we were attacked,” he said.
Two people were killed and over eight others injured in a bloody protest after some residents embarked on a demonstration Tuesday .
to register their displeasure over the presence of a fetish priest in the area.
They claimed the fetish priest, Nana Saka, has been engaging in rituals popularly known as sakawa using human sacrifice.
The house, car and other properties of the fetish priest were set ablaze by angry residents. About 15 residents have been arrested and are assisting police with investigations.

MP for the area, Samuel Atta Akyea said the violence occurred because the Police in Suhum have been compromised by the fetish priest.
He is angry that the residents have been refused bail whilst the fetish priest whom he accused of shooting one of the protesters is walking free.

“A sense of unfairness is being played out there,” he said.
Atta Akyea also said the demonstrating residents were unarmed.

However, ACP Abass says the MP’s claims are false.
“He lied by saying the demonstrators were unarmed. They set fire at the police [vehicle] and injured three police officers before the police returned fire. The evidence is there, the vehicle they [police] were riding is there, the pellet marks are there for everybody to see”,  ACP Abass said.

According the police commander, Atta Akyea’s claim that the police should not have protected the fetish priest from the demonstrators is ridiculous at best.

“Don’t we have freedom of worship in this country? Is there a law that prevents a fetish from celebrating his annual festival?” he quizzed.

Touching on the police’s refusal to grant bail to the 15 people arrested, ACP Abass said the police has not broken any law.
“You are rioting with guns, you’ve caused arson, and you’ve killed somebody; you were just picked up today for questioning and you want us to grant you bail? What have we done about [the case] before you want us to grant bail” he said.