The East Legon District Police Commander, DSP George Asare has told the
Justice Emile Short Commission of Inquiry probing the Ayawaso West
Wuogon by-election shooting incident that the shots were fired by the
Security Taskforce.
Appearing before the Commission at the Osu Castle today, DSP Asare
corroborated the fact that there were about four to five gun shots fired
in front of the house of the NDC parliamentary candidate for the
by-election, Delali Brempong.
He said there were about 20 empty gun shields at the scene per what he saw.
According to him, the whole incident started after the security
personnel engaged some persons in front of the NDC’s candidate residence
and asked them why they were standing there.
He said the security personnel further asked why there were motorbikes packed in front of the house.
In the course of the interrogation, he claimed that the security
personnel attempted to take one of the motorbikes but the people there
refused to allow them to take the motorbikes.
He told the Commission about how out of the seven suspects taken to the East Legon Police Station, two sustained minor injuries.
According to him, the suspects were picked up at the La-Bawaleshie School Polling Station by the National Security Patrol Team.
He said the suspects were arrested after they were told to leave the
polling station but refused and in the process “attacked” the patrol
team.
DSP Asare’s responses exposed severe security lapses and fundamental
flaws in how people are treated in police custodies in Ghana, which
prompted the Commission to raise serious concerns about national
security.
The Commission’s hearings are expected to resume at 10am on Monday, February 18, 2019.
Among the persons who appeared before the Commission on Friday was the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa.