Ablekuma shooting: Stop the propaganda and persecution – Lord Commey

Director of Operations at the Presidency Lord Commey has condemned the deliberate attempt by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to put a political twist to the ongoing investigations on a shooting incident at Ablekuma Central Constituency Collation Center during the just-ended elections.

According to him, although one of his staff whose name is given as Collins Quarcoo is currently assisting the police with investigations, he has not been proven guilty to warrant the frivolous claims made by the NDC’s Deputy General Secretary Peter Boamah Otukunor trying to link him to an incident he has no idea about.

He warned that it’s imperative that political leaders in the pursuit of their clandestine agenda "desist from playing dirty partisan politics with an unfortunate shooting incident. Crime is crime and has no political colours."

He also clarified that the incident that led to the death of the NDC sympathizer has nothing to do with the current investigation in which his staff is supporting the Ghana Police Service.

Below is his full statement

The Ghana Police Service has notified my office that one of my staff members, Collins Quarcoo, is helping in investigations into a shooting incident at the Ablekuma Central Constituency Collation Center sometime last week.

My office has however taken sad notice of a deliberate partisan political twist by the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Boamah Otukunor who has told the media that the fact that the gentleman is helping in police investigations means he is guilty.

Mr. Otukunor further makes unsubstantiated allegations on public radio that the gentleman shot some four persons at the said collation center.

My office wants to put on record that Mr. Quarcoo is only helping in investigations but he has not been pronounced guilty by any court of competent jurisdiction.

Indeed, there is another ongoing investigation into the reported death of a shooting victim in the same area. THIS INCIDENT THAT LED TO THE REPORTED DEATH HAS NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH THE INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVING MR. QUARCOO

They are two separate cases and two separate investigations into two separate incidents.

We are very much concerned about the mishap and the injured and would cooperate fully with the police investigations to bring finality to this disturbing and unfortunate incident.

It is our hope that political figures would desist from playing dirty partisan politics with an unfortunate shooting incident. Crime is crime and has no political colours.

What is dangerous is for political leaders to engage in trial by media and to publicly pronounce people as guilty and unfairly incite public enmity against them. This is sheer irresponsible leadership and such must not be encouraged.

We urge calm as we await the outcome of the investigations.

It is our hope that the media would uphold its full ethics and not allow itself to be swayed into jumping into hurried conclusions in this matter ahead of investigations.