Prof. Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, an associate professor at the School of Law at the University of Ghana, has posited that the actions of the Ghana Armed Forces regarding the murder of one of its officers undermine the authority of the Inspector General of Ghana Police (IGP), George Akuffo Dampare.
In a statement sighted by GhanaWeb, Prof. Appiagyei-Atua said that the military has no power when it comes to dealing with issues of law enforcement, and they only come to play when invited by the IGP to do so.
According to him, the IGP and the Ghana Police Service should be the ones issuing statements on what transpired at Ashaiman and not the Ghana Armed Forces, and IGP must release a statement to counter the military.
“One would have expected that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to issue a statement to counter that of the military and assert its jurisdiction over internal security matters. Indeed, the police can ask for assistance from the military where it feels overwhelmed and in need of extra support. This is not what happened here, according to the statement issued by the Military High Command.
“Moreover, the incident that took place at Ashaiman was not a conflict-zone situation or an operation being carried out by the military which faced an obstruction in the performance of their duties and needed extra support.
“The military trooper who died was on a private mission, to visit his mother and or girlfriend. Moreover, the body was not taken away by his assailants. So, what is the justification for the military to take over the functions of the GPS?” parts of the statement read.
The academic added that the action of the military is an affront to the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
“Perhaps we have failed to realise that we live in a democratic society guided by the rule of law, and not a military regime where the law of the jungle prevails,” he added.
Soldiers conduct swoop in Ashaiman
Some soldiers invaded Ashaiman in the early hours of Tuesday, apparently in search of the murderers of their young colleague.
Several videos of the incident captured by some residents went viral on social media.
In some of these videos, personnel hit and brutalised those outside their rooms.
The incident happened on the dawn of Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at Official Town in Ashaiman.
The Ghana Armed Forces, in its justification of the action of the military personnel, said that the victim was in Accra from his base in Sunyani to visit his parents.
"Trooper Sherrif, who is stationed in Sunyani, was in Accra on a course and had sought permission to visit his parents in Ashaiman, where he grew up, but was found in a pool of blood in the early hours of Saturday near the Amania Hotel in Ashaiman.
"GAF wishes to state categorically that the military operation, which was sanctioned by the Military High Command, was NOT to avenge the killing of the soldier but rather to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime," parts of a statement signed by the Director General of Public Relations, Brigadier General E. Aggrey-Quashie, read.
But the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman Constituency, Ernest Henry Norgbey, has said that Sherrif came to visit his girlfriend, who has been arrested for questioning by the army.
Meanwhile, catch the latest GhanaWeb TV Election Desk interview with Francis Addai-Nimoh, as he discusses his plans to become the NPP's flagbearer, below:
IGP George Akuffo Dampare (left), CDS Seth Amoama (right)