Ahmed Arthur Detained For Meeting Wives Of Policemen

THE BELEAGUERED New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary candidate for Okaikoi South, Ahmed Arthur, was arrested and detained overnight at the Police Armoured Car Squadron Barracks in Accra, Daily Guide has gathered. Mr. Ahmed, who confirmed his arrest and detention to Daily Guide, said he was yet to be given a reason. According to him, he was in the Police Armoured Car Squadron barracks to visit a relation but was arrested moments later by some security operatives who stormed there and whisked him to the charge office where he was immediately thrown into jail. Daily Guide's investigations revealed that the candidate went to the barracks to meet with wives of some policemen, who were alleged to be sympathizers of the opposition NPP at a local drinking spot. Sources said a few minutes into Arthur�s meeting with the 10 women, some plain-clothed policemen surrounded the scene and tried to arrest him without any charge. The NPP parliamentary candidate, Daily Guide gathered, demanded reasons for his arrest but his captors told him it was an order from above, subjecting him to severe punches before throwing him into the cells like a criminal. The 10 policemen whose wives were also sighted with him were summoned and queried by their superiors on why they were encouraging their wives to meet the NPP stalwart. Sources indicated that the women at the centre of the controversy were neither called nor queried on the purported meeting with Ahmed. In the ensuing days, the policemen were immediately transferred to rural communities in the north from Accra, as a form of punishment for allegedly allowing their wives to interact with a member of the opposition. Despite some objections from the immediate superiors from the affected security personnel, the transfer body insisted it was an order from above and that the decision could not be reversed. Daily Guide�s checks confirmed that they had since reported to their new duty points, with some at Funsi in the Upper West region, Kpandai and Tamale in Northern Region and some other remote areas in the Upper East region. When contacted, some of them confirmed the incident to Daily Guide but observed that once they were uniformed policemen, they were obliged to be transferred to any part of the country where their services were much needed. One of them, who pleaded anonymity, said what worried him was the manner in which they were thrown out of the barracks in the name of transfer, expressing concern about politicization in the service.