The Abuakwa South constituency secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kwadwo Duah Shakespeare Ofori-Atta, who led NDC foot-soldiers to attack the municipal office of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Kyebi on Monday, collapsed in a Koforidua circuit court yesterday after being discharged from the dock. The incident momentarily disrupted court proceedings for officials and policemen on duty to find a way of reviving him. Ofori-Atta, who looked tense and confused in court, initially pleaded guilty but later pleaded not guilty. He, all of a sudden, cried out with a shriek, after being discharged and fell off his seat on to the floor close to the dock, with the hands and legs shaking violently simultaneously. Some people at the court had interpreted this to be an attack of epilepsy but his fellow NDC friends who accompanied him to the court said they did not know him to have any history of epilepsy. They suspected that the police might have denied him food for the 24 hours that he had been in their custody. The investigator in the case told his angry friends that 30 minutes before the case was called, he had bought ‘fufu’ for him at the court premises which he ate. Fortunately for the officials, five minutes after going into ‘coma’, he regained consciousness. Ofori-Atta’s arrest was caused by the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, on Tuesday after he had bragged on Accra-based Peace FM that he was above the law. He was about to be taken to the hospital as friends who were with him insisted that it was hunger that caused his collapse. So they bought him a fruit drink and after taking some gulps, he felt a bit relieved and said he did not need to be sent to the hospital. Shakespeare Ofori-Atta, together with some NDC foot-soldiers in the constituency, in an interview with Peace FM, threatened to visit mayhem on the newly-assigned NHIS Manager to the area, Daniel Adjei Danjuma, should he dare enter his office to perform any duties since he did not come from the area. According to him, they have "laboured enough to bring the NDC to power and will not allow anyone to reap where they have not sown." He was subsequently grabbed and handed over to the police at the Okyenhene’s Palace, Ofori Panin Fie. Shakespeare Ofori-Atta had been charged with forcibly locking up the municipal office of the NHIS at Kyebi in East Akyem District with a key without lawful authority, being at the premises of the NHIS for unlawful purpose and raining invectives on employees and threatening them. He eventually pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was said to have charged on the employees of the NHIS after locking up the place, saying “stupid people, I will burn the NHIS office so the Fire Service should be brought in”. The police said his conduct was very offensive with intent to provoke breach of public peace. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Moses Ayao told the court presided over by Barbara Tetteh that Shakespeare Ofori-Atta, who is also a teacher, led a group of angry people on the streets of Kyebi on Monday and went to the offices of the NHIS in the town and raised a red flag at the premises of the office. He said after that, Shakespeare locked up the offices with a key and rained abusive words on the employees, complaining to them that they did not want to see the new director in office because the government had refused their request to appoint a native of the town to head the East Akim NHIS. According to the prosecution, Shakespeare Ofori-Atta also insulted anyone who tried to calm him down and threatened to burn down the NHIS offices. He said the Kyebi police were called in and he was arrested and charged with the offence. His counsel, Mr. Nyanodor, prayed the court to grant his client bail because he was not guilty of the offence. According to him, he indeed complained about their apparent neglect by the government and their frustration as NDC members but never led any mob to attack the offices of the NHIS as being portrayed by the police. The accused was granted bail in the sum of GH¢1,000 with two sureties to be justified and he is to appear again in court on August 18. Meanwhile, the regional secretary of the party, Anthony Gyampoh, yesterday announced that Shakespeare had indefinitely been suspended from the party for his action. Source: Daily Guide/Ghana