The Ministerial Committee set up to investigate the Ejura protest has said that there was no justification for the police to send Police Riot Vehicle (water canon) to the cemetery where the late social activist Ibrahim “Kaaka” Mohammed was being buried.

According to the Committee, this act by the police on the morning of June 29, was provocative, thus incensed an already angry and violent youth, thereby culminating in the attack on the Police Riot Vehicle.

“Evidence before us, that is “Exhibits B-series” and “F-series” tendered by both Erastus Asare Donkor and Edward Oppong Marfo of Citi News, clearly shows that the burial of the deceased “Kaaka” was without any violence until the arrival of the Police Riot Vehicle at the cemetery.”

“In the light of the events which happened on the 28th June, it would have been convincing, if the Riot Vehicle had been deployed at either the Police Station or the Municipal Assembly,” the committee stated.

This was contained in a 55-paged report submitted to the Interior Minister by the Justice Koomson Committee.

The three-member Committee was set up to probe circumstances leading to the clash between Police cum Military personnel and the protesting youth of Ejura Sekyedumase on June 29.

This was after two persons died and four others got injured during the protest.

The committee, which comprised of George Kingsley Koomson, Justice of the Court of Appeal, Security Expert, Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso and Juliet Amoah, Executive Director of Penplusbyte, a civil society organization, was tasked to investigate the incident and recommend sanctions for persons found culpable by July 9, 2021.

In their report made public on Monday, September 27, the Committee stated that both the District Police Commander and the Deputy Regional Police Commander testified that, it was the family of “Kaaka” who requested for police protection during the burial of the deceased “Kaaka”. 

However, the family of the activist who testified at the public hearing denied making such a request.

“When asked, both the Deputy Regional Commander and the District Police Commander could not tell the Committee the name and particulars of the said family member who made this request.”

“It is observed that both the Diary of Action contained in “Exhibit D”, which is the docket built on the murder of “Kaaka”, and the Crime Scene Report on the murder of “Kaaka” and the demonstration at Ejura tendered as “Exhibit C” did not contain the name and particulars of any such family member who had made the request. The Committee finds this piece of evidence as an afterthought.”

The Committee thus recommended the immediate transfer of the District Police Commander of Ejura, DSP Philip Kojo Hammond.

They stated that his transfer should not only be on his incompetence in handling the situation but also on the fact that his relationship with the community seems to have been damaged beyond repair.

The Committee also made nine other recommendations which include the removal of the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipal Chief Executive, Mohammed Salisu Bamba and adequate compensation for the families of the two deceased and other affected persons.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/ejura-murder-probe-committee-makes-10-recommendations-for-governments-consideration/