allAfrica.com: Ghana: Police Boss, Others Must Go (Page 1 of 1)

Following the chieftaincy dispute that led to brutal clashes between members of the community and police in Anloga in the Volta Region, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) has called for the appointment of a new Regional Commander to take over from Deputy Commissioner of Police Bernard Guyiri Dery, as a peace building measure to reduce tension. CHRI, a human rights organization seeking its practical realization in Africa has further asked that all other senior officers directly in charge of operations during the mass arrests should also be replaced and those found guilty for the death of the five including the police officer at Anloga be prosecuted.

Addressing the media on a fact-finding mission the organization undertook at Anloga immediately after the disturbances, the Regional Coordinator of CHRI, Nana Oye Lithur urged government to implement recommendations made by the 17 Commissions of Enquiry into various incidents of police conduct in Ghana to enhance democratic policing in accordance with human rights standards.

"We support the calls for Parliament and Government to, without any further delay, investigate the circumstances leading to the breakdown of law and order in Anloga on November 1st, 2007 and the subsequent clashes that ensued, by establishing an independent enquiry into the incident. Due to the mistrust, suspicion and levels of tensions, the legitimacy and independence of the Commission should be assured to enable all factions to have confidence and fully participate in the investigative processes," she underscored.

She further requested for long-term, strong measures be initiated to strengthen the enforcement of the Police Code of Conduct, the Police Service Act and the Police Service (Disciplinary Proceedings) Regulations.

The police and security agencies in Anlo, she further noted, should cease forthwith the harassment and intimidation of community members, mass arrests based on profiling of suspects, and carry out their duties having regard for due legal processes, the Police Service Instructions and its Code of Conduct.

She held that, in the fight against impunity, it is important that police officers found to be responsible for perpetuating acts of a criminal nature such as battery and causing grievous bodily harm during such incidents should be prosecuted in accordance with the Criminal Code Act.

Nana Oye stated that, "unnecessary violence and mistreatment of persons in custody constitutes police misconduct under the Police Service Instructions. We recommend that The Police Council and Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Unit discipline any police officer found to have been in violation of the law in accordance with section 18 of the Police Service Act and the Police Service (Disciplinary Proceedings) Regulations. This we hope will restore the confidence of the community in the Police."

She also called for a conducive atmosphere to be created for the children to return to school in Anloga.

Mrs Lithur was worried that the Keta District Assembly had not taken any concrete steps to ensure security and safety of the people in the area and recommend that the Assembly be convened to deal specifically with the security situation in the Keta District.

"Whilst dealing with the immediate symptoms, government should critically examine the underlying causes of the conflict to find a lasting solution to the problem."

She noted that evidence from various reports of disaster, reconciliation, student unrest in the country have revealed a consistent pattern of police brutality that the Ghana Police Service and the Inspector General of Police is failing to address.

Nana Oye further called on the Police Council, Ministry of Interior and National Security, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and the Defence Committee of Parliament to investigate the worrying incidence and consistent pattern of Police brutality by the Ghana Police Service.

She also urged Government to address the inhuman conditions of police cells throughout the country by providing resources for the reconstruction of these cells as a fundamental ingredient that facilitates the right to human dignity.

Mina Mensah and Florence Nakazibwe both project officers of CHRI noted that the residents, especially the youth had fled the town to neighbouring communities.

They disclosed that during their visit to the town, they observed that the people were scared of their safety and therefore were unwilling to speak to anybody about events of the previous days because they feared they might suffer retribution from the police should they make any comment.

"We were informed that Zion College, Avete Junior High School, Roman Catholic Junior High School and Roman Catholic School were all closed down and locked up.

There were no pupils, teachers or administrators on the school premises," they further noted. According to them they were informed that the schools were closed down last Thursday after the clash. Two head teachers they spoke to reported that the police manhandled them.

They said they also visited Keta Hospital to interview the injured victims with the view of ascertaining what happened. An 18-year-old boy, who was on his way to the market to buy a shirt, was shot twice on his right thigh. He, together with three deceased people, was conveyed to the hospital in a critical condition.

The family of the only murdered woman was also on her way to market after visiting her daughter who had given birth to a baby that morning. The police did not carry her dead body to the mortuary.

The police together with some soldiers rather went to the house of the deceased woman and pointed guns at her aged husband to show them those he was hiding in the house.

The two project officers further told the media that several persons they interviewed mentioned the existence of men wearing 'Awomefia Task Force' badges and who were going round pointing out people to be arrested.

At the hospital the doctor in charge reported that some nurses being transported home from Keta Hospital after their duty shift were harassed by the police. The police Commander later came to the hospital to apologize to the hospital authorities.

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