General News of Saturday, 21 July 2018
Source: citinewsroom.com
2018-07-21
Curtis Perry Kwabla Okudzeto, Deputy Information Minister
Government will soon set up an independent committee to investigate circumstances that led to the killing of seven people from a Zongo community in Kumasi by the police at Manso Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region.
The Information Ministry explained that the government took the decision as a result of the conflicting accounts government has received over the issue.
“Since the police and the families of the seven young men have different versions of the occurrence, the government has decided to set up an independent committee to investigate the matter,” a statement signed by Deputy Information Minister, Curtis Perry Kwabla Okudzeto added.
Government in the statement also urged members of the Zongo community to exercise restraint while the matter is being investigated.
There’s been tension in the area in the last few days following the killing of seven residents the police claimed were armed robbers.
The seven were believed to be part of eight suspected robbers whose attack led to the death of a Police Officer with the SWAT Unit of the Ashanti Regional Police Command at Ayirebikrom near Manso Nkwanta.
Residents of the area who said seven were not armed robbers burnt cars tyres in the middle of the roads to protest the killings.
They also blocked all roads leading to the area from the Kumasi Central mosque.
Several attempts by the police and opinion leaders to restore calm failed.
Relatives of the seven men killed by police say the Kumasi police framed the deceased persons by planting weapons on them after killing them.
They insist the seven men were not robbers but were instead killed in cold blood.
IGP chased out
The Inspector General of Police and his entourage were chased away by some irate Zongo community members at the Kumasi Central Mosque as protests over the killing of seven of their youth continue.
The youth defied the Police’s riot control measures and pelted them with stones and other projectiles as they lined up to attend a meeting with the leaders of the Zongo community.
The actions of the youth prevented the Minister of Information and the Zongo and Inner Cities Development Minister who were leading a government delegation from attending the meeting.
“Government yesterday sent a delegation led by the Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development, Abu-bakar Saddique Boniface and including the Minister for Information, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Inspector General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu and the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensa and the Municipal Chief Executive for Asokore Mampong, Hon. Alidu Seidu to the Zongo community, where they met with the youth, Imams and Zongo chiefs. The delegation consoled the bereaved families and assured them of government commitment to establish the truth of the incident,” the statement from the Information Ministry stated.
22 people shot dead by police
Police in the last 11 months has reportedly killed 22 Ghanaians.
In most of the cases, the Police claimed they took the action because those persons were believed to be armed robbers.