Security expert 'shreds' Bekwai MP for likening election victims to criminals

Security Expert, Col. Festus Aboagye, says the state must take responsibility for the killings of individuals during the December 2020 elections.

He further rebuked the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Osei Owusu, who likened the dead people to criminals in an interview the lawmaker granted to TV3’s Komla Klutse.

According to Joe Osei Owusu who is also the MP-elect for Bekwai “It is not fair for people to talk to an event that happened without going back. I think it is not fair to insist that because somebody died because if he was in the process of committing a crime it becomes an issue no!?. Do we commiserate with the families of armed robbers who shoot? Were they in the process of committing a crime? Let us determine that. If I am wrongly killed, I deserve sympathy but if I am shot in the process of preventing a crime I deserve that,” he stated.

Seven people lost their lives in areas where elections were held including Odododiodioo, Jomoro, Tachiman South and Ablekumah West constituencies.

Speaking on the 3FM Sunrise Morning Show, Col. Festus Aboagye said no one has the capacity to determine whether all those who died were criminals. He said the tone and the substance of the Law Maker shows that he has already passed judgments but without evidence.

“We will then be forced to dissect the videos evidence that all of us have seen. When you start doing that you get into the technicality of democratic policing. The fact that the crime is about take place doesn’t mean that there must be a resort to the use of for arms that cause fatalities that is not the teachings in democratic policing”.

Meanwhile, President Akufo Addo in his last State of the Nation Address on Tuesday failed to talk about the death of the individuals but a minute silent was observed for the late Former President, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings whose demise occurred in November 2020

Whiles the security expert makes a case for the state to take responsibility for the death of the people, he said at best the President could have expressed some condolences to the bereaved families.

“It helps for the state to take responsibility for what happened and the best person who symbolizes the state who can do that is the president of the nation. I wouldn’t think that it would have been any minus on the performance of the government,” he said.