A press conference to launch a disaster fund in the wake of the Melcom disaster turned dramatic when an official of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) was arrested in the full glare of the public. Christian Ababio is alleged to have been compromised by a private developer who was putting up an eight-storey building without permit. According to the AMA boss Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, the building has reached the sixth floor and yet the developer has no permission from the AMA to put up the structure. He said investigations into the matter revealed that Mr Ababio, a building inspector at the AMA who was expected to ensure that a permit is issued before the building is put up had turned himself into an agent of the developer and helped him to breach laid down procedures by starting the project without a permit. In the middle of a press conference to announce the Melcom Disaster Fund initiated by the AMA to assist victims of the November 7, 2012 disaster, Oko Vanderpuije called out Christian Ababio who was present at the conference and directed the police to arrest him right there. Joy News’ Manasseh Azuri who was present at the conference said the suspect was picked up in the full glare of the public. According to the AMA boss, Christian Ababio is the same person supervising the construction of houses in the Achimota area where the Melcom disaster happened. On the disaster fund, Azuri said the AMA made an initial deposit of 30,000 cedis with Zoomlion also contributing 10,000 cedis. The funds raised will be given to the victims of the disaster. Fourteen people were confirmed dead with over 70 others sustaining varying degrees of injury when the Melcom shopping mall in Achimota collapsed. Play the attached audio for excerpts of the statement