The lawsuit is grounded on wrongful deaths, breach of constitutional rights, inappropriate military deployment, and failure to ensure accountability by actors.
Three years since #fixthecountry activist Macho Kakaa was killed and an ensuing protest led to the death of two others, a law firm, Merton & Everett LLP, has filed a lawsuit against the Ghana Armed Forces, the Police Service, and the Republic of Ghana on behalf of victims of military brutality in Ejura.
A statement from the firm said the lawsuit is grounded on wrongful deaths, breach of constitutional rights, inappropriate military deployment, and failure to ensure accountability by actors.
"The lawsuit marks the three-year anniversary of the killing of #fixthecountry activist Macho Kaaka. The legal action is grounded in the tragic events that occurred in Ejira on June 29, 2021, when the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Services' use of excessive force during a peaceful civilian demonstration resulted in the deaths of Abdul Nasir Yusuf and Mutala Suraj Mohammed, as well as injuries to other plaintiffs," the statement said.
The plaintiffs demand GHC 10.5 million in compensation, the statement added further.
The events that led to the killing of Kaaka, and the two others were unfortunate and ought not to have happened, many had said. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and civil society groups particularly denounced the incident, leading to a wave of conversations about police and military brutality during peaceful protests.
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) also condemned the actions of state security, although no further actions were taken by the lawyering organization.
Weeks after the incident happened, President Akufo-Addo set up a committee of inquiry to probe the matter. While the committee televised its sitting, many analysts, including the families of the victims did not agree with its report after the probe.
"The whole document is biased in favour of the military. Lives were lost and people are asking for justice, and I don't see anything here that will bring justice to the people. I don't see anything about the regional minister who gave the order in the first place," said Security Analyst Adib Saani.
