Police accused of high-handedness

Accra, Dec. 2, GNA - The people of Akyem Bomso in the Eastern Region have accused the Police of perpetrating a series of brutalities against them over a protracted land dispute they have with the people of nearby Tweapease.

They have, therefore, appealed to the Minister of the Interior to appoint a commission of enquiry to investigate "the horrendous acts of brutalities by the Ghana Police against the humble and peace-loving Ghanaians of Bomso to bring the perpetrators of these despicable acts, who have driven the image of this nation into disrepute, to book".

In a petition to the Inspector General of Police signed by six elders of the town, including the Assemblyman, Mr Ayeh Bosompem, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, they alleged that the Police at Asuom, Kade and Koforidua had been influenced by the Tweapeasehene to visit mayhem on them.

The petition said on June 7, 2003 the Police swooped on the sleeping town at about 0300 hours and arrested five men and a woman amidst the firing of gunshots, handcuffed them and took them away to Koforidua. Those arrested said they were kept in cells and denied food.

On October 17 the Police made another swoop on the town and arrested four men and took them to Tweapease, where they were subjected to severe beatings for about five minutes before being taken to Koforidua.

On November 3 the Police swooped on the town again. They entered the Palace of Barima Mintah Ogofuor, Chief of the town, who is a serving Policeman, arrested him, beat him up and handcuffed him and took him away.

The petition said the Police, who numbered about 90, beat up the people indiscriminately and arrested 39 of them including seven women, three boys and a septuagenarian Opanin Asamoah.

It said Opanin Asamoah had since died at the Akwatia Saint Dominic Hospital as a result of the beatings he received at the hands of the Police.

Reacting to the petition, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in charge of Public Relations, Mr Kwesi Ofori told the Ghana News Agency that the people of Bomso had fired on and wounded four Policemen, who were among a team detailed for an operation to retrieve illegal firearms from the town. The Police Headquarters on Tuesday said the four were out of danger and have been discharged from hospital.

ASP Ofori said on November 3 a contingent of Policemen went to Akyem Bomso, to search for arms used in attacking the Police, who had on October 16 gone to the town to arrest some young men, who were suspected to have caused damage to young oil palm seedlings, which Juasco Company Limited of Tweapease had cultivated.

He said at about 0600 hours, while the search was being conducted, some youth of the town mobilised and started throwing stones after the Chief of the town; Barima Ogofuor was arrested for possessing two cap guns without authority. ASP Ofori said the Police arrested 36 others while the rest ran away only to mount a barricade on the road leading to Tweapease, apparently to prevent them from carrying Barima Ogofuor away.

He said when the Police attempted to remove the barricade they were fired upon from about 50 metres away and four of them were wounded. A Police handset got missing during the operation.

ASP Ofori said 35 of those arrested are in custody while Barima Ogofuor and other person had been granted bail to assist in the tracing and retrieval of the missing handset as well as the identification of the other suspects.

There has been a protracted land dispute between the people of Bomso and Tweapease.

The people of Bomso claim that 243 hectares of cocoa, oil palm, citrus and foodstuff farms belonging to them had been leased out to Juasco Company.

They said they had made representations to the Okyenhene, Amoatia Ofori Panin; the Kwaebibirem District Chief Executive, Eastern Regional Minister and President John Agyekum Kufuor.