Reports of police assault of citizens, particularly of the deadly kind, has been presumed by many Ghanaians to be a thing of the past, left in Ghana’s dark and murky history.
However, it seems that is is still happening, sometimes with fatal results.
It has been reported that it is particularly prevalent in the Volta region, where at least four such incidents have been reported.
According to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), a recent incident brings to four, reports of Police brutality and high-handedness on suspects in their custody in the last 12 months, with similar cases in Akatsi, Ho, and Hohoe. None of them has received justice.
It is against this background that the youth of Keta in the Volta Region has appealed to the Inspector General of Police to launch an investigation into an alleged Police brutality leading to the death of their colleague, who died in Police custody.
This, they said, would enable the Ghanaian people to build greater trust and confidence in the Police within the Municipality.
Mr Fosman Doe, the Convener of the group, in a press conference at Keta-Deviame, called for swift action against all officers involved in the alleged assault leading to the death of a Mr Jerry Kpesenu, a landlord at Keta.
“We the concerned and law-abiding youth, both home and abroad, gather here today with heavy hearts to address the barbaric, unprofessional, and inhumane act by some police officers at the Keta Police division.”
He said the untimely death of Mr Kpesenu popularly known as Maya in a police cell called for proper investigations to unravel the actual death of the deceased.
Mr Doe alleged that the deceased was brutally assaulted and manhandled in his residence by the police.
“A professional invitation to our brother to report himself at the Police station on an issue against him would have saved all pain and grief to us.”
The youth demanded that the IGP immediately interdict the officers in the alleged murder case to pave the way for thorough investigations into the circumstances leading to the death of the deceased.
They demanded that the IGP set up a five-member committee including families of the deceased and a youth representative Keta to aid in the investigation.
They also requested for an independent autopsy to be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.
The youth have given the IGP a seven-day ultimatum to address their grievances and take charge of all funeral arrangements.
The late Kpesenu was allegedly tortured and arrested by the Keta Police on Thursday, June 6, in his residence after a complaint was lodged against him for ceasing tools belonging to an electrician, who visited the premises to fix an air-condition in one of his tenant’s rooms.
Informational gathered by the Ghana News Agency indicated that the tenant failed to inform the deceased about plans to install an air-condition, whilst a complaint was later lodged leading to his arrest.
The deceased was later pronounced dead in Police custody after an arrest was affected.
However, the Police at Keta are yet to comment on the matter.
The Daily Searchlight is of the belief that such incidents paint a very poor image for the Ghana Police Service.
We do not believe that in a modern democracy like Ghana, police personnel should be taking the law into their own hands by subjecting citizens to assault.
We believe that the political authorities have a responsibility to ensure that pressure is brought on the Inspector General of Police to avoid a cover-up and any effort to shield the criminals hiding in police uniforms to engender confidence in the Ghana Police Service
