The intervention of an off-duty policeman - in a dispute between a tro-tro driver and members of a Joint Elections Security Task Force at Ashaiman on Friday - has led to his death. A soldier, who is a member of the Task Force, got injured in the confrontation and is in critical condition at the Tema General Hospital. The policeman, identified as Corporal Sampson Kwakye Sorsey, is a bodyguard of Mr. E.T. Mensah, the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare. The Corporal was reported to have intervened in the matter to save the tro-tro driver whose vehicle had blocked the path of the Task Force from being subjected to beatings. Matters were said to have degenerated. According to a Police/Military high Command statement signed jointly by Superintendent Kwesi Ofori, Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service and Lieutenant Commander A La-Anyane for the Director of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces, the incident happened when the Task Force was responding to a distress call during the District Level Elections. The statement said when the Task Force arrived at the Ashaiman Market junction, “a Toyota van which was discharging supplies into a nearby store had obstructed the one-way road, thereby preventing the patrol from passing through. “A soldier-member of the patrol got down and attempted to impress upon the driver of the van to reverse from the road to allow the patrol go through, but he refused. In the attempt to get the defiant driver to do the right thing, there was exchange of words between the soldier and the civilian driver. “A policeman in uniform appeared on the scene and attempted to prevent the patrol members from ensuring that the driver got the van out of the way. Even when the patrol leader, a Police inspector prevailed upon him to reason with the patrol, he would not budge”, the statement said. It said the policeman “threatened the patrol members with his side arm” and another soldier in the Task Force attempted to disarm the policeman and in the process both men fell on the ground, resulting in their weapons going off and seriously injuring the two. “Both wounded persons were rushed to the Tema General Hospital where the policeman died later”, the statement added. The High Command of the military and police have, meanwhile, expressed their condolences to the bereaved family and sympathies to the injured soldier, wishing him speedy recovery. The statement noted that the incident was an unfortunate isolated one, and that “there exists a very cordial relationship between and among the security services. The joint Elections Security Task Force patrol in fact was composed of members of the army, navy, police and fire service”. It said a joint investigative team was being constituted to further investigate the matter. Source: Daily Graphic