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Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate for Awutu Senya East in the Central Region, has been released from police custody following her arrest on Friday, June 7.
Her release was confirmed today, Saturday (8 June).
The arrest of Okunor sparked immediate condemnation from key NDC figures, including the party’s flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, who demanded her release to ensure national stability.
Sammy Gyamfi, the NDC’s National Communications Officer, called on party members to gather at the Cantonments Police Station in protest.
Demonstrators, clad in NDC colours and chanting slogans, expressed their dissatisfaction with what they deemed an unjust and politically motivated detention.
Former President Mahama accused the Inspector General of Police, George Dampare, of acting on orders from National Security Minister Albert Kan Dapaah to intimidate the NDC candidate.
Mahama suggested this was intended to hamper her campaign against incumbent MP and Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hawa Koomson, in the upcoming elections.
Sammy Gyamfi confirmed Okunor’s release to Myjoyonline, although details about her detention and any charges remain unclear.
The background of the arrest dates to June 2, when the Ghana Police Service reported that three individuals, including Okunor, were arrested at Ofaakor for possessing a firearm without lawful authority.
During the arrest, a pump-action gun with four rounds of ammunition was found in a Honda CRV car near the Electoral Commission Office.
Okunor has maintained that she was not formally arrested but invited by the police. She asserted that the firearm found in her car was legally licensed and acquired for self-defense due to previous altercations involving Hawa Koomson, in which she alleged a lack of police protection.
The arrest followed a clash between NDC and NPP supporters at the EC’s office in Ofaakor during a vote transfer exercise, resulting in the stabbing of Ato Koomson, the son of Hawa Koomson, who was hospitalized. It remains unclear if Okunor’s arrest is connected to this incident or solely due to the firearm possession.
The NDC continues to rally support, condemning the arrest and emphasizing the need for fairness and transparency in the lead-up to the elections.
SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH with additional files from myjoyonline.com.
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