Regional Police Take Over Addah’s Assault Case

The Upper East Regional Police Command has taken over investigations into the alleged assault case involving the sacked Energy Minister, Joseph Kofi Addah, from the Navrongo Police. Solomon Anane Tampoli, an official of the People’s National Convention, is accusing Mr. Addah of punching him in the face, as well as setting thugs on him at a Navrongo suburb. According to the Navrongo Central Police Commander, ASP Daniel Derry, the former minister initially refused police entreaties to submit a statement on the case and cautioned that an arrest warrant could be issued for his arrest, but according to Deputy Commissioner of Police Ofosu Mensah, Regional Police Commander, Mr. Addah on Friday complied with the police demand. ASP Daniel Derry whose outfit made the request for the Regional Command to take the matter up, expressed happiness that his request had been granted because he didn’t want his office to handle it, while DCOP Ofosu Mensah also explained that the Regional Command was taking over the case to avoid any interference. Tampoli alleged that he was on his way to a PNC meeting somewhere in town when he saw some friends a few metres from Mr Addah’s residence. Mr Addah for no obvious reason approached and asked Anane’s friends not to “walk with him because he is a criminal.” But Tampoli, uncomfortable with the bad-egg label, immediately registered a humble protest, an action which got Mr Addah angry. According to Tampoli, Addah immediately went to the booth of his car, picked a phone and called in a gang of “macho men” who subjected him to severe beatings until he fell unconscious with rivulets of blood running down his nose. Not satisfied with what his men had done, Mr Addah allegedly held Tampoli up by the collar of his shirt and punched him hard enough to leave a fist-size welt in his face. The MP then immediately drove to the Navrongo Central Police Station to make claims of death threats on his life against Tampoli, who hours later staggered to the five kilometres away only to meet Mr Addah who tried without success to push for the police to arrest him (Tampoli). Instead a medical form was issued Tampoli to see a doctor.