Speed up prosecution of law breakers at registration centres – GBA
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has called for the speedy processes in presecuting individuals who would be found culpable over incidents of violence being witnessed in some registration centres in the ongoing compilation of new voters register.
The association has also urged the security and law enforcement agencies to ensure that, such pepertrators of violence were brought to book irrespective of their politcal coloration, religious, ecomonic and social standing.
In a statement issued in Accra yesterday, and signed by the president, Mr Anthony Forson Junior and the General Secretary, Mr Yaw Acheampong Boafo, the association also urged the Ghana Police Service to strictly maintain law and order at all voter registeration centres to enable Ghanaians go about their civic duties without fear and panic.
“We trust that all acts of violence at regsitration centres will be thorough, speedy and will result in swift arrest and prosecution of the offenders irrespective of status,” it said.
“In the interim, we call on the security and law enforcement agencies to ensure strcit maintenace of law and order at all registration centres in the current voters registration exercise to enable all eligible Ghanaians to go about their civic duties without fear,” it added.
The statement comes on the heels of voilent incidents at some registration centres with the recent one occuring at Kasoa in the Central Region during which the Minster of Special Development Initiative, Hawa Koomson fired shots at the Steps to Christ centre.
The association described the incident at the Central, Bono and other regions as “unfortunate” and expressed their utmost displeasure over such incidences.
It said, “The Ghana Bar Association finds these incidents very unfortunate and we hereby condemn unreservedly, the actions of the perpertuators which have resulted in the untime death of one person, attacks on officials of the Electoral Commission, mayhem and confusion,” the statement said.
Similarly, the EC also urged the security agencies to deal with trouble makers in the ongoing registration exercise, following the Kasoa violent incidence.
The Chairperson of the Commission, Mrs Jean Mensa, at a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, July 22, asked the security agencies to deal with perpetrators decisively to ensure sanity at the various centres.
Mrs Mensa said that, the offenders of the law must be dealt with accordingly, as the country’s law is irrespective of persons.
“We believe that the rule of law must work for all, and we should abide by the rules of this country,” she stated.
BY TIMES REPORTER
