In what could be best be described as a show of power, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ahanta West in the Western Region, Mr. Joseph Jones Amoah, last Sunday allegedly ordered the police to arrest a 73-year-old man, Mr. Peter Kojo Abesie. This was after the septuagenarian, who is the Unit Committee Secretary for the Ayinase community in the district, had allegedly been subjected to severe beatings by a group accompanying the DCE. The latter claims Mr. Amoah instigated the community against him, hence the action. Information available to The Chronicle indicates that on Saturday May 1, this year, the DCE sent a message through the old man that he would be visiting the community at 3:00p.m the same day. Mr. Abesie, upon the receipt of the message, ordered the town crier to beat a gong gong to relay the message to the entire community. Unfortunately, the DCE and his team did not turn up at the scheduled time. The Chronicle learnt that the DCE and his team arrived in the community later, around 7:30p.m, to hold the meeting with them. The Unit Committee Secretary was then called to the meeting. In the course of the meeting, another septuagenarian raised an objection to the meeting, on grounds that the DCE had never visited the community, and since that was his first, it would be better if the meeting was held during the day for the people to come to know him. The suggestion was then seconded by the Unit Committee Secretary, and collectively accepted by the townfolk. The action by the Unit Committee Secretary apparently infuriated the DCE and his team, which led to an assault on the 73 Unit Committee Secretary. Mr. Abesie confirmed the story, and added that after he was allegedly assaulted by the DCE’s team,at dawn the next day, police officers came to his house to effect this arrest. According to him, he even pleaded with the police to allow him to attend nature’s call, but they would not allow it, and took him to Agona Nkwanta, where he was detained. The Agona Nkwanta District Officer, Chief Inspector Samuel Darko, in a telephone interview confirmed the arrest and detention of the septuagenarian, on the orders of the DCE. According to the Chief Inspector, the DCE reported to his outfit that Mr. Abesie had instigated the people of Ayinase against him, and further noted that he was forwarding the docket on the case to his boss for the necessary action. The DCE, who verbally assaulted the Chronicle reporter, eventually confirmed that he ordered the arrest of the septuagenarian, for obstructing his programme. He would however not confirm or deny that his team assaulted the old man. The arrest of Mr. Abesie has generated heated debates in the Ayinase community. Meanwhile, an executive of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ahanta West has confirmed that the party would be leading a delegation to the septuagenarian, on behalf of the DCE, to apologise to him. The executive member, who did not want to be named, said what the DCE did in effecting the arrest of the 73-year-old man was unfortunate, and frowned on the system being run by President Mills. Meanwhile, a family source said the DCE had expressed remorse for his action, and had since apologized. Source: The Chronicle /Ghana