Samuel Nartey George, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, one of the people at the centre of the violence that occurred during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election has likened events on the day to a scene in an action movie.
Testifying before the Justice Emile Short Commission on Monday, Sam George said he had gone to the constituency to monitor the by-election when the shooting which set off a series of events occurred.
“Shots were immediately fired into the air. I immediately took cover against a wall and stood against it. Because, the next 60 seconds appeared to be stuff from an action movie. I saw a number of the armed men pull out their side weapons and fire into the direction of the crowd. I saw Double [a National Security operative] pull out his AK 47 and fire. The gun jammed; I saw him clear his chamber, reload the gun and fired several rounds from his AK47.”
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Sam George said he was brutalized after intervening when the Deputy National Women’s Organizer of the NDC was arrested because she took photos of a group of “hoodlums” who claimed they were with the national security.
He further told the Commission that recounting events of the day has traumatized him.
“My Lord, recounting this leaves me a little traumatized because this was live fire straight at unarmed Ghanaian citizens and a Member of Parliament. In all honesty, my conclusion is that those shots were being fired at me. So I was running in a straight line when I heard it [shot]. Maybe I have watched one movie too many [times], I realized I shouldn’t run in a straight line so I took a detour instead of running straight.
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Sam George narrates how he was assaulted by security officials
On the election day, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP was seen in a widely circulated video shouting at the security personnel in a parked vehicle, claiming they wanted to kill a man in his house.
It was during the exchange that one of the security men stepped out of the parked pick-up truck of security personnel to slap the MP.
He was then punched by another person in uniform suspected to be part of the security team.
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The video circulating on social media indicate that the attack on the MP resulted in fisticuffs between the police and supporters of the NDC.
“This is so wrong, this is so wrong…[Do] You want to kill a man in his own house?” The legislator was seen exclaiming.
Giving a vivid account of what transpired, he said at a point, he went to hide to save his life after he realized that the attack was becoming too much.