Minister of Sate at the Office of the President, Joseph Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, who has been accused of hailing the soldiers who allegedly beat and stripped naked two crime suspects in Bawku, has denied ever doing so. Nii Laryea told Adom FM that he never hailed the soldiers' acts, explaining that he rather thanked God that the lives of those brutalised were spared, taking into context the known behaviour of soldiers. He maintained that given what the Upper East Regional Minister, Joseph Wayongo went through when he was caught in a fierce crossfire in helping to keep the peace in the troubled town, the only resolution was to send the military to calm things down since they have the experience in peacekeeping. The minister reiterated his claims that majority of landguards are armed robbers, some of who are into the practice because they have no jobs. Story by Kwabena Offei-Nkrumah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana