Police must arrest soldiers involved in Ashaiman brutality – Appiagyei–Atua

An Associate Professor at the University of Ghana School of Law has expressed disappointment at the police’s failure to take action against military officers involved in the Ashaiman brutalities.

Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atuah said the police should have brought the soldiers to face the law for brutalising the civilians which is in clear contravention of the laws of Ghana.

He stated that the police’s refusal to bring the offending soldiers to book merely because of their uniform is worrying and must be nipped in the bud to engender a sense of equality before the law.

“At this point of our democratic dispensation, the police are expected to comply with the law, especially the constitution in the discharge of their duties.

“So this is a case where a soldier has been allowed to run on a rampage and destroyed properties and the police could not arrest him because he’s a person in uniform.

“So the need for police to also do their work is very critical so that by now, these people should have been arrested and dealt with,” he said.

The Professor added that the police usually should at least try to stage the arrest of culprits in uniform so that when they are unsuccessful, the public can confirm that “there are some big powers behind them and we’ll be able to identify where to pinpoint the blame.”

Prof. Appiagyei-Atuah noted that the activities of the armed military persons cannot be justified.

Armed Military men raided a section of Ashaiman in an operation to search for persons responsible for the death of one of their own.

A soldier belonging to the 3rd Battalion Infantry in Sunyani was allegedly stabbed to death by unknown assailants in the Ashaiman community.

Videos circulating on social media captured how civilians were made to lie down in mud pools and whipped with various objects, amongst other dehumanising punishments.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in a statement has defended its operation within the Ashaiman community.

According to the security service, the invasion was rather sanctioned by the Military High Command to fish out perpetrators of the heinous crime, and not to avenge the death of the soldier.