Interdicted cops face nightmare

As the five interdicted police officers face nightmares three months after being acquitted of manslaughter charges in connection with the May 9 stadium disaster, those to determine their fate – to recall them or not - seem gripped by indecision.

Neither Interior Minister, Hackman Owusu-Agyeman nor Inspector General of Police, Nana Owusu Nsiah could give an inkling of the likely outcome of consultations between the police establishment and the government on the matter in response to Chronicle’s inquiries.

Intelligence information picked up by “The Chronicle”, however, indicates that by the close of the first week of next month, the five officers may know whether they are going to be kicked out of the service or remain at post after the next Police Council meeting said to be scheduled to take place today, Friday, October 24.

As reasons and counter reasons are being assigned for the delay in determining the fate of the officers, Mr. Owusu Agyeman has denied that he told an August 28, 2003 Police Council meeting that the President is of the view that the interdiction of the five officers should not be lifted because of its sensitive nature and its tendency to create renewed tension amongst families of victims of the tragedy.


He told The Chronicle in an interview last week that it was not true the President wanted the officers sacked.


“It is not for me to decide whether the interdiction should be lifted,” he said, adding that that it is the responsibility of the IGP.


The Minister, however, admitted that the issue of the interdiction and whether it has to be lifted was raised at the last Police Council meeting but it was not discussed because the Chairman of the Council was sick and could not attend the meeting.


He therefore asked to be given some time to study the issue. A Chronicle source within the Police Council insists that majority of the members, who include representatives of the Ghana Bar Association, have objected to any move not to recall the officers, saying that the order of the High Court cannot be challenged.


Meanwhile, The Chronicle is reliably informed that at the last Cabinet meeting held on October 9, 2003, the issue regarding whether or not the interdiction should be lifted was discussed and later referred to the National Security Council who according to sources has already forwarded their response back to the Police Council.

Once again, Mr. Owusu-Agyeman denied that the case was discussed at Cabinet saying that there was nothing that would go to Cabinet which was not tabled by a Minister and that if any Minister was to raise that issue in Cabinet it had to be him and he had not raised it.


The soft- spoken Minister then queried The Chronicle about the source of its information saying that all the Ministers who attend Cabinet meetings swear oaths of secrecy so he was wondering how anybody could be talking to The Chronicle about debates in Cabinet.


The Minister however assured the paper that by next week the issue would come up at the Police Council. When The Chronicle contacted the IGP, he said the issue was very sensitive but he also gave the assurance that by early November a firm decision would have been taken.


It could be recalled that on May 9, 2001, a stampede at the Accra Sports Stadium during an Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko league football match, claimed about 127 lives.


The stampede was as a result of the spraying of teargas by the police into the stands where some rampaging fans were destroying newly fixed plastic chairs.


Following the incident, a presidential commission was set up to probe the circumstances, which led to the deaths.

The five officers were interdicted on May 10, 2001 through a letter signed by the then Inspector General of Police, Owusu Poku. The interdiction was lifted by another letter dated November 2002 signed by the current IGP, Nana Owusu –Nsiah with a caveat that the lifting of the interdiction was without prejudice to any action to be taken by the Attorney General.


On December 16, 2002 Nana Nsiah re-interdicted the five officers following a submission of bills of indictment for their prosecution.


The presidential commission chaired by Mr. Sam Okudjeto, a respected legal practitioner recommended the prosecution of the five officers, who were later charged on 127 counts of manslaughter.


An Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Yaw Appau, dismissed all the charges leveled against the five officers after a marathon trial.