President Nana Akufo-Addo has suspended the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper Denkyira West, Daniel Apiannin, following the murder of Captain Maxwell Mahama.
The decision to suspend him today [Thursday] June 1, 2017, was confirmed to Citi News by the Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Hajia Alima Mahama.
[contextly_sidebar id=”gmBAY6FIH5ma27iz6Z6NLyNSIxx8v8hM”]“The President has directed that we do some investigations on the matter and on his [Daniel Apiannin’s] conduct and report. In the interim, he is to hand over his duties to the Deputy Central Regional Minister [Thomas Agyei Baffour]. Therefore, for now, he has been suspended,” the minister stated.
Hajia Mahama noted that the investigation, which will be overseen by the Central Regional Minister, is to cover “the recent events and what has happened in the press – his utterances and all that.”
“We need to have a good view of that, find out what happened and thereafter, we will look at his actions and decide whether he should be relieved of his position. But in the interim, he is on suspension… His utterances have been there. People have questioned the utterances and all that. We are a responsible government. We respond to the queries of people so we are responding and asking him to go on suspension,” she added.
The DCE had made comments suggesting that the deceased and his colleagues were in the area to protect illegal Chinese miners, contrary to the police and the Military High Command’s claims that they were rather in the area on an anti-galamsey mission.
The DCE’s comments, which angered many, was seen as a justification for the dastardly act by the angry youth, who claim to have lynched the officer because they thought he was a robber.
Mr. Apiannin had also said he was not aware of any military presence for any official operation.
Criticism from predecessor
The immediate past DCE for Upper Denkyira West, Ambrose Amoah Eshia, had criticized Mr. Appianin for dereliction of duty, which he said may have led to the lynching of Captain Mahama.
Mr. Amoah Eshia, the new DCE ought to have been aware of the presence of military personnel in his jurisdiction and taken steps to protect them.
Capt. Mahama, was an officer of the 5th Infantry Battalion, was said to have been on his daily jogging routine on Monday when he was lynched by some residents of Denkyira-Obuasi, a town near Diaso where the military was based.
So far about seven persons have been arrested in connection with the murder.
The suspects include William Baah, Assemblyman and teacher, 36, farmer; Yaw Antwi, 32, farmer; Bismarck Donkor, 36, farmer; Kofi Badu, 29, farmer; Kofi Nyame, 29, farmer; Anthony Amoah, 23, Okada operator and Philip Badu, 30, a prison assistant.
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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana