The Ashanti Regional Security Council, (REGSEC) had to intervene to ensure that there was peace and security at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi following an invasion at the premises of the Pathology Department by some youth to demand the release of the body of the victim of last Monday’s shooting incident at the premises of the National Democratic Congress, (NDC) Ashanti regional office at Amakom.
According to a source at the Hospital, the uninvited youth were becoming agitated when they were told that their demand on the Hospital was not feasible, at least for Tuesday.
The police and soldiers were called in to maintain security at the facility.
The source said as part of the police investigation into the shooting incident, certain protocols had to be followed by the Pathologist in conducting a post mortem on the body. It said, the body be released to the bereaved family, February 20, after the pathologist completed their autopsy.
Thirty-year old Wassiu Iddris, husband of one with a child, allegedly suffered multiple gunshot wounds at about 12.45 pm during a misunderstanding at the premises of the NDC’s Regional office at Amakom and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital last Monday.
The irate youth wanted the body for burial in line with Islamic tradition but the Hospital and the Police insisted that the body could only be released after an autopsy.
Meanwhile, the surviving victim identified as Abdul Issah, who sustained gunshot wounds in the thigh, is said to be in a very stable condition.
A source at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where he has been on admission since Monday afternoon, noted, that Issah did not suffer injury to the thigh bone and assured that, he will likely be transferred from the Emergency Centre to the Ward for observation and treatment.
In a related development, the Police in Ashanti are following leads in their investigations into the circumstances of the shooting incident.
GBC’s sources in the Police service indicate that some prominent functionaries are assisting in the investigation but the police official sources have been tight-lipped on the current status of the probe.
They are Former deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Joseph Yammin and former Ejisu Municipal Chief Executive, Afrifa Yamoah Ponko.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command on Tuesday invited the two leading members of the opposition political party for interrogation.
The two, as part of investigations into the shooting incident had their homes searched by the police.
Background
On Monday, a meeting at the Ashanti regional office of the NDC turned bloody when some unidentified men suspected to be members of the Hawks, a pro NDC vigilante group, opened fire on members of the Regional Task Force of the party.
One person who has been identified as Wassis Idris, a 30-year-old scrap dealer and a member of the task force, was shot and killed while another one, Abdul Rahman, received gunshot wounds.
After the shooting, the members fled using motorbikes.
