AWW: Its unfortunate gov’t white paper exonerated George Sam’s assaulter – Prof Asante
Chairman of the National Peace Council (NPC), Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, says it is unfortunate ‘wrongdoers’ in the centre of the infamous Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections violence have been left unpunished
Speaking on TV3’s ‘Key Points’, monitored by theghanareport.com, Prof. Asante said: “If you’re a security officer you need to control your temper. You don’t say I have been provoked and therefore because I have been provoked you are going to act in a certain way. You embarrass the government when you do that.”
“It is important for us to know that those people truly embarrassed the government by the way they acted and coupled with that was the mask”. He noted
According to him, he expected the government to punish and rearrange the structure of the security apparatus as recommended by the Justice Emile Short Commission.
“As far as I am concern, it is unfortunate that the white paper would exonerate certain people, I would have thought that they will be brought before the court”
He insisted that the rule of law must be applied to all manner of persons no matter who they are and which position they hold.
“I have always insisted that the rule of law demands that we truly make use of the laws of the land,” he said
NDC to sue Akufo Addo next week over Ayawaso bye-election violence
Background
A by-election was held on January 31, 2019, to elect a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency after the sitting legislator, Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, lost his life to ill health.
The election was marred by sporadic shooting at the residence of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate, Kwasi Delali Brempong, which resulted in injuries to 18 persons.
The culprits from the SWAT team of the National Security stormed the polling station at the La Bawaleshie polling station and MP for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George was also assaulted by a well-built man who was part of the national security team.
Justice Emile Short Commission of enquiry was formed to investigate the incident and make recommendations.
The commission recommended that a National Security operative, ‘Double’ who assaulted a Member of Parliament should be prosecuted by the government in a white paper said, ‘Double’ was provoked.
Here are seven recommendations of the commission:
.1. The Commission notes that currently, the following persons play similar if not same roles:
- Minister, for National Security
II Minister of State for National Security
III. National Security Advisor
- National Security Coordinator
- Minister for the Interior (to a limited degree)
The Commission recommends that the police should review their recruitment procedures and install merit-based criteria to ensure that the most qualified, and not the most well-connected, persons are enlisted.
- The commission recommends that there is a need to criminalize the very existence of these groups to attack the problem from its roots. Such legislation must cover the founding, funding, groups. Also, persons who support them must be denoted as promoters of the crimes they commit and held liable for abetment.
3. The Commission has taken note of the circulation of certain posters titled ‘WANTED,’ in certain public spaces in Accra. These posters purport to declare certain persons as being on a wanted list. This is unauthorized action amounting vigilantism as it is not the police that has issued those notices. Bearing in mind the risk posed to the privacy, life and liberty of the persons involved, the Commission recommends the opening of a criminal investigation into the said act, and the perpetrators brought to book.
- The Commission urges the Medical and Dental Council to remind their members to comply with the legal duty to endorse police forms issued in respect in respect of victims to whom they may have provided services -the subject of-ongoing criminal investigations.
- The Commission urges that the Electoral Commission should expiate the possibility of resorting to electronic voting or some other method which does not depend on physical ballot boxes.
- . The Commission urges that the Police should mount public education on crime-scene management to ensure that the public would avoid interfering with crime scenes and thereby protect the integrity of evidence for future prosecution.
- The Commission recommends the establishment of an independent Police Complaints Commission based outside the police structure to deal with, complaints from the public on the conduct of police officers and so ice accountability.