The three-member committee set up by the Interior Ministry to probe the death of two protestors at Ejura is urging witnesses to render an honest account of the June 29 disturbance without withholding any information.
The Committee chaired by George Kingsley Koomson, Justice of the Court of Appeal on Monday, noted that the body as well as Ghanaians nationwide, are also searching for justice, hence anything short of the truth would hinder the execution of its duties.
“We know that everybody in Ejura and in fact the people of Ghana want the truth to prevail. We all want justice to be done but if we appear before the Committee and decide to narrate only certain things we want to say, without telling it all... sitting here we are not magicians,” a member said while interrogating Abdul Wakass Umar, cousin of the slain activist, Ibrahim Mohammed Kaaka.
According to Abdul Wakass Umar, he was not present when the youth who were protesting had an encounter with the military and the police resulting in the death of two persons with four others injured.
But evidence tendered in by JoyNews’ Erastus Donkor according to the Committee captured the witness at the scene when the journalist tried to question him.
“If not for this video which was put in by Multimedia, we wouldn't have known from your testimony that you even saw what happened. We understood you to mean that from the cemetery, yes, you saw the youth but you just went to the mosque to pray, you rested... If you don't help us, the justice you are calling for, the truth you want to be told, we cannot manufacture,” a member of the Committee told the witness.
Later on, Abdul Wakass Umar revealed that although he was at the scene it was for a brief moment, therefore, did not see the military arrive.
“My lord, they (military) were far away when I saw them and immediately I saw them, I had not prayed so I decided to go and pray. So I did not see them alight from the vehicle.”
“The reason I decided to shorten some of my evidence was that I wasn't there when the shooting began,” a translator told the Committee on his behalf.
In view of this, the committee made a plea for all who appear before them to provide unadulterated information on what exactly took place on Tuesday, June 29.
“Yes, everybody has his opinion about what caused what, the police may have their opinion, the military, Chiefs, the youths and various families. It is our duty to synchronize all these pieces of evidence to arrive at a conclusion and to make recommendations.
“But if those who were present are not willing to let us know exactly what took place, then the entire evidence becomes speculative,” the committee added.
The two other members on the committee are Security Expert, Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso, Juliet Amoah, Executive Director of Penplusbyte, a civil society organization
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