The Director of Communications at the Police Service, Superintendent Cephas Arthur has said the Talensi by-elections was not “marred” in any way despite several attacks staged by various vigilante groups.
“Our security measures worked yesterday because we were able to deliver a peaceful election such that you will not say that the conduct of the elections was marred in any way.”
Some vigilante groups, Azorka boys and Bolga Bulldogs believed to be affiliated with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) clashed during the just ended polls.
Some vehicles were vandalized while others were severely injured but Cephas Arthur believes the Police Service managed to ensure a “peaceful election” in the face of the attack.
“Irrespective of all the challenges that we had, we were able to deliver peacefully and to ensure that at the end of it all the process was not marred”
He also denied assertions that the Police refused to ensure calm while the two groups were attacking each other.
“It is not true that the police stood by while people shot at each other. Many people would have died otherwise…The fact that we did not make any arrests in Talensi does not mean the Police were ineffective,” said Cephas Arthur.
“We also mounted snap checks at strategic locations within the constituency and all highways leading to the constituency. Our intelligence teams were also firmly on the ground,” he added
Special Investigation Taskforce
Cephas Arthur also condemned the attacks staged by the various groups, adding that a special investigation taskforce has been set up to investigate the case.
“We have identified such groups as Azorka Boys, Bamba Boys, Invincible Forces and Bolga Bull Dogs as the main political vigilante groups in these acts of lawlessness.
“The Police are hereby serving notice to all, that a Special Investigation Task Force has been established to investigate the membership of such illegal groups and their leadership with the view to prosecuting them in accordance with L.I. 1571.”
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