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Discipline Policemen found to
have mishandled the Anlo State conflict - CHRI
Accra, Nov. 8,
Ghanadot/GNA - Nana Oye Lithur, Regional Coordinator of the
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), on Thursday
called on the Police Council and the Professional Standards
Units to discipline any police officer found to have behaved
unprofessionally in the handling of the Anlo State conflict.
She said Policemen found to be responsible for perpetrating
acts of criminal nature such as battery and causing grievous
bodily harm during the incident should be prosecuted in
accordance with the Criminal Code Act.
She urged the Police and security agencies in Anlo to stop
the harassment and intimidation of community members and the
mass arrests based on profiling of suspects.
Nana Lithur's call was made at a press conference organized
by the CHRI and the Legal Resource Centre (LRC) after the
two organizations conducted a day’s fact finding research on
human rights violations during the conflict on November 1,
2007.
A simmering chieftaincy dispute turned violent last week
Thursday during the installation of the Regent of Anlo,
Togbi Sri III as Awoamefia.
Six people, according to the Minister of Justice and
Attorney-General, Mr Joe Ghartey died in the violence when
Police clashed with angry youth, who were against the
installation.
The Government obtained a court order to stop the
installation but the Secretary of the Awoamefia Palace said
the processes were completed before the court order was
obtained.
Nana Lithur further called for a new Regional Police
Commander to take over from the present Regional Commander,
Mr Bernard Dery as a peace building measure to reduce the
tension. She said all Senior Police Officers, who were
directly in charge of the operations during the mass arrest
should be replaced.
"Government should investigate why the DISEC, the Keta
District Security machinery, or any other government
intelligence organ concerned with monitoring such security
situations in accordance with the Security and Intelligence
Act failed to provide an early warning that could have
averted the clash that occurred on November 1."
The Human Rights Activist expressed support for the call for
Parliament and Government to investigate circumstances
leading to the breakdown of law and order in Anloga.
Nana Lithur stressed that the methods of arrest and
detention of suspects, general harassment, inhuman treatment
and allegations of torture levelled against the Police by
the community should be investigated.
She called for strong measures to be initiated to strengthen
the enforcement of the Police Code of Conduct; Police
Service Act and Disciplinary Proceedings Regulations.
Ms Florence Nakazibwe, Project Officer at CHRI, sharing her
observations, said the heavy presence of Police created so
much fear among Anlo citizens and affected almost all
economic activities and education.
"The general observation was that people were scared of
their lives and safety, they were unwilling to speak to us
about events of the previous days. According to them, some
people in the town, who belonged to Togbe Sri’s group, are
going round identifying other people, who are not part of
their group to the Police," she said.
Ms Nakazibwe said they were told that the Police chased
people, who were in front of their houses at 1745 hours,
with guns when the curfew was imposed.
Ms Mina Mensah, Project Officer at CHRI, said they were told
that: "Some drivers were stopped; passengers were made to
walk; mates were asked to slap their drivers; some were
asked to hop up and down holding their ears; some people
riding bicycles were asked to get down and carry their
bicycles on their heads."
Ms Mensah said a staff of Zoom Lion, a sanitation company,
who was cleaning the market on Friday November 2, told them
that while he was going about his duties, the Police pounced
on him, beat him up and arrested him without asking him any
questions.
She said three schools, the EP Church Basic School; Local
Authority Government School and the Roman Catholic Junior
High Schools were closed down and two head teachers reported
that the Police manhandled them.
Mr Edward Amuzu, Executive Director LRC, said fundamental
human rights including the right to life; the right to human
dignity; the right to security of a person; the right to
privacy; the right to personal liberty and the right to
education were violated.
He said some people were arrested in their bedrooms while
praying and stressed the need to address such incidents.
GNA
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