The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has officially cleared former Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Member o
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has officially cleared former Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, of any wrongdoing in connection with violent incidents that marred both the 2020 and 2024 general elections in her constituency.
Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Mubarak announced the findings of a special investigative task force established by the Interior Ministry to review unresolved cases of election-related violence.
According to him, the probe found no evidence implicating Ms. Koomson in the fatal shooting that occurred during the 2020 general elections in Kasoa or in the disturbances recorded in 2024.
“The investigative team’s findings have substantiated the position that Mavis Hawa Koomson bears no responsibility for the unfortunate incident that led to the loss of life in Awutu Senya East,” the minister said.
“The accounts provided by witnesses, coupled with a lack of credible evidence against her, make it clear that earlier accusations were unfounded.”
The violence, which broke out on the night of December 7, 2024, near the Steps to Christ polling centre, resulted in the death of 30-year-old Yusif Larri Idriss, who sustained gunshot wounds after shots were fired from a Mahindra pickup truck.
The incident sparked a nationwide debate over electoral security and the alleged involvement of political actors.
In the immediate aftermath, the then National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, Phyllis Naa Koryoo Okunor, accused Hawa Koomson — who was the incumbent MP — of orchestrating the attack.
She alleged that a black V8 vehicle linked to Koomson’s campaign chased and fired at her convoy while she toured polling centres.
“They shot into our vehicles and two of my people were hit,” Naa Koryoo claimed during an Onua TV interview on December 8, 2024, adding that one of the bullets struck her official Mahindra pickup.
However, in the minister’s recent briefing, he revealed that Okunor later denied being at the scene when the shooting occurred and told investigators she had “no knowledge of the circumstances” leading to the violence.
“Her convoy was not attacked, and she was nowhere near the scene of the incident,” the Interior Minister disclosed.
Investigators also indicated that key witnesses — including Mohammed Ali, who was alleged to have been in the Mahindra truck from which shots were fired — refused to cooperate with authorities.
“Some of the individuals involved have evaded the Task Force, and one suspect has reportedly been flown abroad for medical treatment,” Muntaka confirmed.
Reacting to the findings, Mavis Hawa Koomson issued a statement welcoming the report, describing it as a vindication of her long-standing position that the allegations were politically motivated.
She accused her opponents of using “lies and propaganda” to destroy her reputation and incite public anger against her.
“It is pertinent to highlight that the unfounded accusations, orchestrated and led by Phyllis Naa Koryoo, precipitated an unjustified and unprovoked attack against me during the Ablekuma North by-election earlier this year — an incident that nearly cost me my life,” she stated.
“While she may have gained politically from those baseless claims, I sincerely hope those who wronged me will have the integrity to apologise publicly for the trauma I have endured.”
The Ablekuma North by-election in July 2025 turned violent after suspected NDC thugs assaulted Ms. Koomson outside a polling centre, leaving her hospitalised.
Following the incident, Interior Minister Muntaka Mubarak personally reached out to the former MP to empathise with her and assured the public that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
He reiterated at the time that no one would be shielded from prosecution, regardless of political affiliation.
“We are not going to condone wrongdoing, whether it involves people from within our party or from outside,” he said.
The renewed report by the Interior Ministry is expected to bring closure to one of the most controversial political flashpoints in the recent electoral history — a case that symbolised the deepening culture of political violence and mistrust between the NPP and NDC in the Central Region.
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