Man Pours Suspected Acid On NDC Youth Organisers

Two young men who allegedly poured a substance suspected to be acid on Mr Mahama Bukari, Wenchi Constituency youth organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were on Tuesday remanded in police custody by a Circuit Court at Fiapre, near Sunyani in Brong Ahafo. Francis Awuah, an artisan in Sunyani and Kwabena Kyeremeh, a second hand belt dealer in Wenchi, pleaded not guilty to causing harm and abetment of crime respectively at the court presided by Mr Benjamin Yaw Osei. Kyeremeh had earlier confessed during police interrogation that he was allegedly hired by an �NDC big man� in Wenchi to commit the crime at a fee of GH� 1,000. The two will re-appear before the court on Monday, March 26, 2012. Chief Superintendent of Police Frederick Adjei told the court Kyeremeh through one Dwomo contacted Awuah on his cell phone that an NDC big man� was looking for someone to do a job for him. He said just after Awuah had spoken with Kyeremeh, another phone call came to Awuah from someone who introduced himself as the �NDC big man� in Wenchi and that he (NDC big man) wanted the accused to pour acid on Mr Bukari, who is also a teacher in Wenchi and the fee would be paid after the job had been done. The complainant was said to have been insulting NDC big wigs in Wenchi on radio. Chief Superintendent Adjei said on March 14 2012, in pursuance of the agreement between the accused and the �NDC big man�, Awuah went to Wenchi and met Kyeremeh at �Ambassador� drinking bar where the latter handed over two bottles containing the substance to him and took him to �Baah� hotel in Wenchi to pass the night. He said the following day Kyeremeh came to Awuah at the hotel and led him to the complainant�s house but left the scene immediately because the complainant knew him (Kyeremeh) very well. �Awuah knocked at the door and when Mr Bukari came from his room he asked him whether he was the NDC youth organiser�, the prosecution said. Chief Superintendent Adjei said as Awuah engaged Mr Bukari in a conversation a key the latter was holding fell and in his attempt to pick it up Awuah poured the acid on him (Bukari) and took to his heels. �Bukari raised an alarm and with the assistance of some neighbours Awuah was pursued and arrested and handed over to the police�, he said. The prosecution said the police retrieved from Awuah a small bag in which was a bottle containing some of the substance, which had since been sent to Ghana Standard Board to determine its contents.