HRGC urges govt to probe recent police killings

pThe Human Right and Governance Centre (HRGC), has called on government to probe the recent police killings in the country.

The centre condemned the brutal killing of two policemen at Budumbram, near Kasoa in the Central Region, and commended the Ghana Police Service for speedily apprehending suspects in connection with the crime, who were currently before court.

A statement issued and signed by the Director of HRGC, Mr Martin Kpebu, and coped the Ghanaian Times, urged the service to continue to use due process to seek justice for the falling policemen, their families, colleagues and friends.

It demanded investigation into the Budumbram and Akyem Kwabeng incidents adding that “in both incidents, various conflicting versions have been put out by the police and eyewitnesses present at the shooting”.

According to the statement, the Akyem Kwabeng shooting also raised serious issues about the police’s construction of their own service instructions and principles when confronted with delicate issues.

It further called for a review of the recent directive by the Minister for The Interior, Mr Ambrose Dery, to provide all police personnel with firearms in the quest to ensure safety and protection of the officers.

“We appreciate the emotions the shooting of the two officers brought to the leadership of the country’s internal security and Ghana generally, but such decisions cannot be taken when emotions and tempers are high,” the statement said.

It noted that an increase in the number of armed Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) policemen was bound to increase incidents of police confrontations with motorists and the general public, and gun fights with the police and fatalities.

The statement, therefore, urged the service to take measures to improve its image to increase public trust in their operations.

“The memories of the Asawase killings are still fresh in our minds as a call to arm all the MTTD police, will scare a significant number of motorists thereby sinking the public image of the police and decreasing public trust in the police,” it said.

BY TIMES REPORTER