The Saltpond Police Command, last week, organised a press conference at Saltpond in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region to clear the air on the scuffle that ensued between the former minister of information, Stephen Asamoah Boateng and the Central Regional Minister, Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, during the funeral of the late president of the Nkusukum traditional council, Okesse Essandoh VII, at Saltpond. According to the Mfantseman Municipal Police Commander, Supt Emmanuel Oscar Narh Odonkor, neither the regional minister nor the police prevented Mr Asamoah Boateng from greeting and making his donation to the chiefs. Supt Narh Odonkor recounted that on October 9, 2010 around 3:35pm while the funeral activities were going on, Mr Asamoah Boateng and his entourage arrived and just at the entrance where he was standing, he personally approached the former minister and exchanged greetings with him. Supt Narh Odonkor said Mr Asamoah Boateng received him warmly and told him he wanted to go and greet the chiefs but he told him to hold on since the regional minister and the minister of chieftaincy who was representing the president were about to give their speeches and presentation. The police commander said Mr Asamoah Boateng understood him and agreed to exchange greetings with the chiefs at the appropriate time. According to him, he then asked one of the ushers at the funeral grounds to prepare a place for Mr Asamoah Boateng who is also the former Member of Parliament for the area and his entourage to sit. Supt Odonkor added that although Mr Asamoah Boateng obliged with him, two men from his entourage did not take kindly to his directive and insisted that they go and greet the chiefs of which Mr Asamoah Boateng refused and decided to follow the directive of the police commander by taking a seat offered to him by the ushers at the front row of a canopy adjacent to the chiefs. He said the regional minister and the minister of chieftaincy exchanged final greetings with the chiefs, made their donations and left the funeral grounds to Anomabo. He said the minister did not see Mr Asamoah Boateng from where he was sitting and was not even aware of his presence, adding "the two ministers were not even aware of what was going on", and left immediately they were done. He said the speculations going round were not the true reflection of what happened on that day and added that it was important for the public to note that where state officials are present at a gathering, protocol and basic security principles must be observed. "There was no scuffle or heckling on that day" he emphasised. "The police was there to ensure peace and order. Asabee was never prevented from making donation or from sitting in the funeral. I personally offered him a seat" he re-emphasised. Supt Odonkor said there was no order from above and that the police was only working with the rule of security first which stipulates that once the president or his representative is seated at a gathering, no one can be allowed in. "So we were just following laid down security and protocol procedures" he said. It would be recalled that Mr Asamoah Boateng and Mrs Benyiwa Doe made headlines in some dailies last week when the latter prevented the former information minister from greeting and presenting his donation to the chiefs at a funeral at Saltpond. Mr Asamoah Boateng and his entourage according to the reports were compelled to go back to the chiefs the next day to make his donation even though he was related to the late chief. Source: TODAY