Families of the 7 killed zongo men to receive GHC250,000 each

Mustapha Abdul-Hamid,the Inner-City and Zongo Minister has said that,his ministry will compensate families of the 7 men who were killed at Manso-Nkwanta by the police sometime last year.

According to him, his ministry has set aside one million seven hundred and fifty thousand Ghana cedis (GHC 1,750,000. 00) for families of the seven young men who were killed by police at Manso-Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region July last year.

He said, the presentation will be done at an official ceremony in Kumasi,on Thursday,March 8.

"The presentation is in fulfillment of President Akufo-Addo's promise made on 8th January, 2019 at the Zongo for Peace and Development Conference held in Kumasi that the families of the slain youths will be paid an amount of GHC 1,750,000. 00 in total as compensation"he said.

President Akufo-Addo during his address at the conference said, “even though money cannot replace the life of a human being, it is being offered as a way of accepting the responsibility of the State in this tragic affair.”

Each of the 7 families of the deceased is to be paid two hundred and fifty thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢250,000).

Background

On July 7, 2018, Police in the Ashanti Region shot and killed seven persons believed to be armed robbers at Manso Nkwanta.

The seven, all residents of Asawase Zongo in Kumasi, were said to have exchanged fire with the police patrol team.

The killings sparked outrage in Zongo communities in Kumasi with residents insisting on the innocence of the seven.

A seven-member committee which was set up to investigate the shootings concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that the seven persons who were killed in the shootout were armed robbers.