Ashaiman Police work under unacceptable conditions - MP

Ashaiman, Aug. 06, GNA -- The Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Mr Alfred Agbesi has bemoaned the deplorable conditions under which the police work in the Ashaiman Municipality.

According to him, senior police officers together with their families reside in single rooms describing the police accommodation in the municipality as 'pigeon holes' adding that, "the police in Ashaiman work under unacceptable conditions".

He said it was unfortunate that foundation that was laid

for the construction of police quarters in 1964 has been neglected

and an effort for its continuation has proven futile. Mr Agbesi who appeared before the Committee of

Enquiry investigating the Ashaiman shooting incident on Monday

blamed the poor relationship between the police and the public,

especially drivers on the harsh conditions personnel work under. The MP, citing example of the conditions said police

personnel at the charge office of the Ashaiman police station daily

inhale stench emanating from the cells which has over 40 inmates

even though it was originally created for 12 suspects. Mr. Agbesi recommended that the Ashaiman District

Police station must swap offices with the Ashaiman Divisional

Police headquarters, explaining that the current premises of the

District station near the main lorry station usually get crowded unlike

the headquarters due to its limited space. He also called on the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly and

other stakeholders to create more lorry parks in the municipality to

check the parking of vehicles on the roads, noting that, the vehicular

population in the municipality was enormous. The Ashaiman MP also refuted the media report that the

incident occurred because inhabitants of the municipality are

hooligans, observing that, "we have very respectable people residing

in Ashaiman". Mr Jonas Tetteh, a 22-year-old driver who plies

Dodowa-Ashaiman, narrating incidents that led to the June 3

misunderstanding between the police and the drivers, said a senior

police officer and two other personnel took the indignation key of

his Nissan Urvan bus on June 2. Mr. Tetteh stated that the senior police official, whose

name he could not give held his shirt, pulled him from the lorry,

slapped him and together with the others dragged him to the police

station without pointing out his offence to him. The victim further said he received a blow across his right

eye at the charge office, resulting in a cut on the right eyebrow when

he demanded to know his offence as well as a plea to inform his

master of the incident. According to him together with four other drivers from

Ningo and Michel Camp, they were detained overnight and were

brought out to write their statements on June 3 when some people

started throwing stones into the charge office. The five-member Committee with Justice C. J Honyenuga

of the Appeal Court as chairman was told by Mr Ofori Braima,

father of 22-year-old Moses Ofori, one of the two who lost their

lives during the incident that after being informed of the incident by

his nephew, he saw the body of his dead son on television at Fumso

near Obuasi at about 1200 hours on the same day. He said the uncle of the deceased told him later that,

Ofori who sleeps in his uncle's shop opposite the Ashaiman police

station was on his way to nature's call when he decided to help the

boy who has been shot but he was also hit by a stray bullet. Mr Braima said after subsequent meetings with the police

and other family members, the police provided GH¢2,100 for the

funeral rites of his son. Madam Dedo Tetteh, mother of nine-year-old Moses

Tawiah Kassim, who was killed by stray bullet said shortly after she

gave Moses five Ghana pesewas to attend nature's call she heard of

his death. Madam Tetteh stated that the police apart from the

GH¢1,200 provided for the funeral have neglected them and

appealed to the Committee to ensure that the government supports

her as her son was brilliant and would have been an asset to the

family. A five-member committee was appointed by the

government to investigate circumstances that led to the Ashaiman

police-drivers confrontation over wrongful parking begun its public

sitting on Monday July 28. The committee is supposed to complete

investigation on August 13.