Parliament To Investigate Alleged Military Brutality in Wa
The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, has directed the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior to investigate the alleged military brutality against civilians in the Upper West Regional capital, Wa.
The directive by Mr Owusu, who sat in for Speaker Alban Bagbin, follows a request by Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu.
Mr Iddrisu questioned the moral authority of the military to brutalize citizens on mere suspicion that they had stolen a mobile phone.
The committee will embark on a fact-finding mission to Wa and report to the House in four weeks.
Speaking in Parliament, the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, also attributed the incident to a few bad nuts.
“It is simply not the military culture to move to town and molest people… for that to have happened, I still can’t understand,” Mr Nitiwul said.
He further pledged to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the military personnel who carried out such heinous acts are sanctioned.
Mr Nitiwul revealed that a committee has already been established by the Defence Ministry to probe the incident.
“If we sweep matters under the carpet, it can create a bigger problem for us, so Mr Speaker, I don’t have a problem if we decide to do that, but we have already instituted these kinds of measures.”
On the victims of the brutality, Mr Nitiwul said, “we have identified the people who have been hurt, and we will take care of them as well.”
Members of the Committee are:
- Kennedy Agyapong Chairman
- Ophelia Mensah Vice Chairman
- James Agalga Ranking member
- Alexander Afenyo Markin
- Bryan Acheampong
- Kwadjo Asante
- Dan Botwe
- Mohammed Amin Adam
- Nana Ama Dokuah Asiamah
- Mathew Opoku Prempeh
- Zanetor Rawlings
- Mohammed Bawa Braimah
- Peter Lanchene Toobu
- Benson Tongo Baba
- Ernest Henry Norgbey
- Kofi Adams
- Helen Adwoa Ntoso
- Cletus Avorka