Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako says the inability Ghana Police Service to prosecute perpetrators of electoral violence is worrying.
Kweku Baako said issues of registration and electoral violence have been happening for a very long time, hence the need to question the Ghana Police Service enforcement of laws with regard to these issues.
“My question is what has been the history of enforcement, what happened to charges and trials?”
He said the inactions of the police is breeding the culture of impunity.
“Because we treat it as a political thing… and don’t enforce don’t go too extreme, you will arrest and bail them. No prosecution, no conviction and no sentence we’ve sown the seed for impunity that culture of impunity and in this case I’m not excluding any of them.”
Kweku Baako has therefore called on the police service to for once use this case as a special one to serve as a deterrent to others.
“They arrest sometimes and let them go after awhile no price nothing. I appeal to the Ghana Police please it isn’t as if it is the beginning but this might not be the last too so can they investigate this particular incidence arrest the perpetrators and for once prosecute it is important.”
Background
Family of a murdered 28-year-old man at Bando in the Bono region is demanding justice for their son.
Silas Kyeremeh, a graduate teacher trainee from the Akyem Oda Teacher Training College was killed during a scuffle at a voters registration centre.
Mother of the deceased Serwa Grace said it is very sad for her because she did not even have the chance to see her son after his graduation.
But the Member of Parliament for Banda Ahmed Ibrahim said the Police and the Military dispatched to the area have taken sides in the chaos that has engulfed the constituency since the voter registration exercise began.
According to the lawmaker, personnel of the security agencies show open bias and protect the ruling party members even when they attack opponents.
The claim comes on the back of the killing of a 28-year-old man by some men believed to be supporters of the ruling New Patriotic Party after a scuffle at a registration centre at Banda.
The scuffle was sparked after some persons associated with the NPP parliamentary candidate for the constituency confronted brother of the MP for the area.
Speaking to Starr FM, the legislator said residents of the constituency have lost confidence in the security officials.
“Those who attacked me personally days ago are still walking around, they are well known NPP people, I have given their names to the police but up till now, nothing has happened. And the Police know, many of the residents here have lost confidence in the military and the police because even though they are to protect us, they are only protecting the NPP candidate and his team,” he told Sit-in host Lantam Papanko.
