Ministers� Attacker Grabbed

THE EASTERN regional police command has arrested the driver who carelessly crossed the deputy minister for Local Government and Rural development, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye and the deputy Eastern regional minister, Mavis Ama Frimpong when they were on voter registration monitoring tour in the Eastern region. The driver who was on police wanted list after the incident was arrested by the Nsawam Police Command when he allegedly drove carelessly again and nearly caused an accident on Tuesday. The suspect has since been transferred to the Eastern regional police headquarters and is being processed for court. The public relations officer of the Eastern regional police command, Nketia Yeboah confirmed the arrest when contacted by the DAILY HERITAGE, but declined further details. It would be recalled that the bodyguards of the Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye and the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Mavis Ama Frimpong were attacked by mourners along the Suhum-Nsawam stretch of the Accra Kumasi Highway for attempting to arrest their driver for crossing the deputy ministers� convoy. No serious injuries were recorded; however, the armed police bodyguard of Nii Lantey Vanderpuije had his finger bitten by the driver. The name tag of the bodyguard of Minister Vanderpuye got torn; while the buttons of that of the bodyguard of the deputy Eastern regional minister was torn .The dress of the driver was in tatters during the scuffle. Narrating the incident to the DAILY HERITAGE when contacted, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Eastern Regional Co-coordinating Council, Prosper Fetor Tsomana said the deputy ministers were on monitoring tour of the voters� registration exercise undertaken by the Electoral Commission. Upon reaching a deplorable narrow portion of the road on the highway, a driver of a mini KIA vehicle with registration number GX 749-14 carrying Akpeteshie (a local gin) and mourners, stopped and allowed the first vehicle with the convoy to pass upon being signaled by the convoy, but suddenly crossed the two deputy ministers who were following the first vehicle. This nearly landed the deputy ministers in an accident. According to the PRO, the armed police guards of the deputy ministers got down to arrest the driver. However, the KIA driver did not show remorse and resisted arrest. He said over 20 minutes struggle occurred between the bodyguards and the driver of the KIA Truck which became heated with six other men wearing funeral cloths onboard the Kia truck joining to prevent the police guards from arresting the driver. The situation attracted many travellers and residents around to the scene. The onlookers threw their support for the driver and the mourners to resist arrest. Re-enforcement called in by the embattled bodyguards did not show up. When the two deputy ministers realized the charging crowd was getting out of hand, they directed their bodyguards to throw in the towel to join their waiting vehicles to continue their journey which they obliged.