Collins Dauda, the Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, has been released on bail subsequent to his arrest in connection with alleged disturbances at a voter registration center on May 11, 2024.
According to a statement by the police over the weekend, Mr Dauda was detained following an incident during the limited voter registration exercise in Kukuom, Ahafo Region, where one person sustained injuries and was hospitalized.
Confirming the bail, National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, reiterated Collins Dauda’s innocence, emphasizing that he was not present at the scene of the disturbance. Gyamfi condemned the arrest, urging the police to focus on apprehending the actual perpetrators.
“He [Collins Dauda] was immediately granted bail. And so he is currently on bail. And the police say that they are conducting their investigation, so he will hear from them. At no point was the Honorable Collins Dauda present at the scene.
“He was not there [at the scene] because he was busy in his constituency monitoring the registration process. So it came to us as a surprise when the police issued that statement, creating the impression as though Collins Dauda had committed a crime when they knew that he was not even at the scene when the said incident happened.”
Dauda’s bail comes amidst claims by the NDC that the arrest was politically motivated. Gyamfi alleged that the disturbances were instigated by individuals affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP), urging the police to direct their efforts towards apprehending those responsible.
The NDC spokesperson condemned the violence and called for swift action against the perpetrators, particularly singling out a known NPP member allegedly involved in the disturbance.
“So we condemn what the police did and we are calling on them to focus on arresting the real perpetrators of that chaos, of those criminal actions. The NPP hoodlums and bandits were led by a known NPP bandit called Anointing.
“He is a notorious guy in the area, everybody knows him, the police know him, they know where he lives. They should focus on arresting and prosecuting those hoodlums who went to the voting centre to harass, intimidate, and brutalise innocent citizens.”
The police have stated that investigations into the incident are ongoing.
