The Central North Regional Police Command has arrested 100 residents of Assin Wurakese in connection with a violent mob attack on a patient at the Akoti Health Centre earlier this month.
According to the police, the arrests followed sustained intelligence indicating that the incident was a coordinated mob action involving several members of the community.
Briefing the media on Friday, January 23, the Central North Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Abraham Acquaye, said about 85 police personnel were deployed to Assin Wurakese to identify and isolate individuals who were directly or indirectly involved in the attack.
He explained that the suspects will be subjected to a thorough screening process, after which those found culpable will be arraigned before court, while individuals found innocent will be released.
“Through our video analysis we got to know that the people who attacked or had been at the hospital were more than 10, but it wasn’t everybody who appeared in the video.”
DCOP Acquaye stressed that the police are treating the case as a serious criminal offence and will not allow it to go unresolved.
“This is a case that, we are not allowing it to slide because it’s a serious criminal offense. When you involve yourself in mob attacks, you are violating some fundamental principles. They did not give this guy the opportunity to tell his side of the story before they attacked him.”
He questioned the rationale behind pursuing an individual into a health facility to carry out an assault.
“Why will people chase or pursue somebody to the hospital?”
According to the police commander, the decision to arrest a large number of residents was based on evidence suggesting different levels of involvement in the crime.
“The decision to arrest a large number of residents was informed by evidence suggesting that some individuals failed to prevent the crime, others aided and abetted the attackers, while certain persons harboured suspects without reporting them to the police.”
The incident occurred on January 15, when the group, armed with machetes, sticks and clubs stormed the Akoti Health Centre and assaulted a patient, Yaw Buabeng, who was receiving treatment for cutlass wounds sustained in an earlier fight.
Prior to the mass arrest, the police had earlier arrested a 20-year-old Community Police Assistant, identified as Bi Yeboah, on January 16 for his alleged involvement in the mob attack.
