Bloody Agona West shooting: My supporters are innocent — Cynthia Morrison

The Member of Parliament for Agona West, Cynthia Maamle Morrison, has debunked claims that her supporters were involved in the shooting incident that erupted during a campaign rally in Agona West constituency.

The incident which occurred on Sunday, October 28, left one person with gunshot wounds and several others with minor injuries.

According to reports, Christopher Arthur, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Parliamentary candidate for Agona West, and his supporters were returning to Agona Swedru from a campaign launch in Otinkorang when they encountered Ms Morrison and her supporters at Agona Nyakrom, who were also campaigning.

As the groups crossed paths, gunshots rang out, injuring Haruna Rashid, who serves as the campaign manager for Chris Arthur.

Rashid sustained a gunshot wound to his ribs and was immediately transported to the Agona Swedru Government Hospital for medical attention.

Other individuals with minor injuries were also taken to the hospital amid chaos.

Subsequently, the NPP PC, a former aide to the incumbent MP, accused the latter of orchestrating the attack on him and his people.

Mr Arthur claimed that Ms Morrison is hurt from her defeat in the NPP primary and has been inciting her supporters to engage in violent acts.

However, the Agona West MP has refuted the claims, stressing that her supporters were not responsible for the gunfire.

According to Ms Morrison, she was unaware of the gunfire and she did not hear shots being fired.

She said she only learned of the incident afterwards.

“At a point, the police told me that they put me in the car. So I just slipped through and then sat in and asked what was happening. They said it was a gunshot. I didn’t hear the gunshot actually because the [sound] system was closer to where I was standing.

“So I sat in the car, my driver, my security reversed, and then we were asked not to go through the same road that we came from.

“That was the directive of the police, so we had to go through the outskirts. Then I heard that some people had been injured, so they were sent to the polyclinic.

“How can it be from my camp? I was having a rally. I got permission from the police. They gave us 27 policemen in their van and they directed me to exactly where I should be. Anywhere we turn, we see a policewoman, turn left, and they will ask us to turn left.

“We have to tell where they will ask us to turn. They had mapped everything for us to go. I did not even have the itinerary. They did the itinerary,” the MP further explained.

Meanwhile, the Central Regional Police Command has launched an investigation into the incident to ensure justice is served and calm restored among residents and party supporters.