An operation embarked upon by personnel from the Sekondi Naval Command of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), at the Albert Bosomtwi Fishing Harbour in Sekondi last week Wednesday, to retrieve generators that were being used illegally by some of the fishermen turned into physical attacks on the fishermen by the soldiers. According to eyewitnesses, the soldiers, without any provocation, used the butts of their guns to pummel the fishermen at random, as they ran helter-skelter, resulting in several injuries. One of the victims, Annan Tetteh, was hit in the abdomen and had to be rushed to the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital for treatment. The soldiers were also alleged to have extorted monies from the panicking fishermen. Sources say having realized the harm their men had caused, the Naval Command met the leadership of the Ghana Inshore Fishermen Association (GIFA), in Sekondi last week Friday, to amicably resolve the matter. During the meeting the commanders also pleaded with the fishermen to name the officers, who assaulted them, including those who extorted various sums of money from them. The military commanders allegedly promised to hand over their men to the police for prosecution, if investigations prove that they indeed assaulted and extorted monies from the fishermen. The GIFA had threatened to drag the military to court, for human right abuses suffered by their members at the hands of the rampaging soldiers. The military command maintained that their men only used force to arrest those who were running into the sea. Mr. Andrews Tetteh, one of the fishermen whose boat and generators were seized, confirmed the assault and the subsequent meeting with the police. According to him they were aware of the operation, and even consented to it, but expressed regret about the way the soldiers turned round to assault the fishermen without any justifiable cause. He claimed his younger brother, Anna Tetteh, was hit several times in the abdomen by one of the soldiers, he could only identify as Nkrumah. Tetteh, he revealed was rushed to the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi for treatment after the case had been reported to the police. Kofi Panyin Yena, 2004 National Best Fish Farmer, demanded that the Ministry of Fisheries expose some of their members, who were assigned by the sector minister, Mrs. Gladys Asmah, to investigate "pet rolling" - a term used for foreigners who fish in Ghana’s territorial waters. He accused the minister's delegation of taking bribes in the course of their duties. Source: The Chronicle