Abuakwa South legislator, Samuel Atta Akyea, says Parliament is right to call for an independent investigation into the police's killing of five individuals suspected to be landguards at Bortianor.

According to him, the security service has the requisite skills and training to carry out operations and investigations without inflicting harm or pain on civilians.

For this reason, the police's justification for the killing is unsatisfactory and must be investigated.

Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews, he said “you disarm people before, excuse me to say they go on the crime undertaking."

"This is what I believe should be the specialty of the police service because if they claim they have intelligence but the intelligence is only used in the theatrics and the killing, then what is the sense of the intelligence."

He continued that “for my part, I am of the humble view that what the parliament of Ghana is calling for is eminently sensible. We should go into this matter and let us come out with the finding and the general public will know,”

The Legislator also the Chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee of parliament explained that an independent investigation will aid the police in its work in the future therefore the assertion that only the police carry out the investigation is out of proportion.

He justified his claims with the point that the press release by the police which sought to explain the issues relating to the deaths of the suspected landguards was inconsistent.

"The press release, I don’t want to say I want to run down the police but there are a lot of loopholes in the press release dated June 12, 2023,” he added.

He stressed that “let the measurement of the police not be the police themselves, let parliament also look at this matter and we are better off it with."

"If you are not culpable, you are not culpable but if you are culpable then let's send the signals that in the name of holding the powers of the state, lives should matter to you.”

Five shot, four weapons recovered in police anti robbery operation 

On June 8, the police shot five suspects during an anti-robbery and anti-land guard operation at Bortianor, Accra.

Four days after the shootout, the police in a press release justified the action on the bases that the individuals had been terrorising residents and landowners in Bortianor and nearby communities.

However, members of the community say the police reports are false.

Parliament to probe Police brutality at Bortianor

On the back of this, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament,  Andrew Asiama Amoako directed the Committee on Defence and Interior in the House, and the Leadership of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee to probe the incident.