I have nothing against East Legon Police Commander – Kwesi Ofori

Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Samuel Kwesi Ofori, Accra Regional Police Operations Commander on Thursday said: “I had nothing against Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) George Lysander Asare, East Legon Police Commander”.

CSP Kwesi Ofori stated this in his testimony before the Ayawaso West Wuogon Commission of Inquiry, in response to an allegation by DSP Asare that he was not given any specific role to play during the January 31 Ayawaso West Wuogon Parliamentary by-election.

However, CSP Kwesi Ofori said their Operational Order One, 2019 page three, directed the Divisional Commanders to deploy their men for the conduct of the by-election.

He added that, “the District Commander of East Legon is a subset of the Airport Division, so also is the Airport District Commander as well as the Legon Police Commander.

“Therefore, being a subset of the Division under the Divisional Commander, Airport; and page three of the operational order directing the Divisional Commander to deploy his personnel, he is part of that team”.

He cannot under any circumstance deny that he has not being assign, “I will be surprised to hear that. And moreover, he is a personal friend. So, he has no problem with me. He has been a long-time friend as a young man in the Ashanti Region”.

CSP Kwesi Ofori said on the day of the election, he personally saw DSP Asare on duty going around with his men; declaring that he (DSP Asare) was among the team of officers he (CSP Kwesi Ofori) led to hold discussions with Mr Delali Kwesi Brempong, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate in the by-election, at whose residence the violence broke out.



Mr Eric Osei-Mensah, Counsel for the Commission asked CSP Kwesi Ofori whether DSP Asare had formally complained to him about not being assigned?

CSP Kwesi Ofori replied that he indeed, received a complaint from DSP Asare that he had not been assigned.

He said, he told DSP Asare to refer to the operational order and that moreover being the District Commander, he had the responsibility of a General Commander.

He said the three Commanders who were deployed in East Legon during the by-election were to take care of three electoral areas and not to take over from the District Commander.

He said neither he nor the Accra Regional Commander had the power to ask the East Legon District Commander to step aside.

Counsel also asked CSP Kwesi Ofori whether the Police uses whatshap and text messages in giving out orders?

CSP Kwesi Ofori said policing gives attention to written instructions, especially when it cited in operational orders; stating that however, sometimes messages were being sent to officers through text and whatsapps.

On the question of whether whatsapps was a formal means of sending out official information to the officers, CSP Kwesi Ofori noted that with time they would have to take a look at.

CSP Kwesi Ofori recounted that when he got to the scene of the violence at the residence of the NDC Parliamentary Candidate, he saw spots of blood, which the police coded off and some bullet marks on a metal container.

He said, he was met on arrival by DSP Abena Benewaa Kwabena, the District Crime Officer of East Legon Police District and Detective Chief Inspector Sulley Jallo.

He noted that DSP Kwabena informed him that they had retrieved two spent bullet shells form two school boys.

CSP Kwesi Ofori, noted that unknown to DSP Kwabena, the Detective Chief Inspector Jallo had handed over the two spent shells to the national police team investigating the matter.

Mr Osei-Mensah asked CSP Kwesi Ofori, if he knew about the 37 spent bullet shells in the possession of a community youth chief at the scene of the violence; which the Operations Commander replied in the negative.

He, however, told the Commission that Police was doing its best to retrieve the spent bullet shells from the community youth leader.

Mr Patrick Kwateng Acheampong, a former Inspector General of Police and a Member of the Commission asked CSP Kwesi Ofori to furnish the Commission with information on whether the weapons used by the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team of National Security during the violence had being handed over to the police forensic unit for investigation.

The Commission has adjourned sitting until Monday, March 4 at 1000 hours.

However, the Commission would be visiting the scene of the violence at La-Bawaleshie on Friday, March 1.