Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Albert Donkor reportedly dies in Police custody
Read full articleNkoranza South MP demands justice for Albert Donkor
Ablakwa warns of Ghana's further deterioration on human rights credentials
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called for a reformation in the Ghana Police Service amidst rage over the death of Albert Donkor in Nkoranza.
In a post on his social media handle, the legislator opined that the country’s human rights credentials will continuously experience a decline if inmates are killed with impunity.
Mr. Ablakwa further rallied patriotic citizens to stand with the people of Nkoranza in demanding justice for Albert Donkor.
“Ghana’s human rights credentials would continue to deteriorate if citizens in police custody are increasingly killed with such despicable impunity. All true patriots must stand with the people of Nkoranza to demand justice for Albert Donkor. The Ghana Police Service needs a purge,” he posted on his Facebook wall.
Albert Donkor according to a statement by Nkoranza South MP, Emmanuel Kwadwo Agyekum was arrested by the police on April 25, 2022, at 1:00 am from his mother’s residence at Kasadjan on suspicions that he was involved in a robbery that occurred on the Nkoranza- Kintampo road.
He added that the now-deceased man was denied access to family members and lawyers.
“Albert Donkor was denied access to a lawyer of his choice, his family members were denied access to him, he was never tried by any competent court and today, all we are hearing is- Albert is no more, how reckless can the Police Service be.
“This is indeed an epidemic of injustice, the people of Nkoranza cannot stay silent when innocent Albert Donkor has been targeted and killed,” part of the statement read.
Mr. Agyekum also dismissed the police report that Albert Donkor was shot dead when he led the police to another robber's hideout
"The rambling explanation given by the Police that the victim was shot by the robberies when the victim led the Police to arrest the other suspects at a ghetto is untenable and cannot be accepted by the people of Nkoranza South as the same excuse was given in the bullion van robbery case at Ashaiman," it added
Read the full statement below:
THE PEOPLE OF NKORANZA DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ALBERT DONKOR
On 25th April, 2022, at exactly 1:00am, Albert Donkor was picked up from his mother’s residence at Kasadjan in the Nkoranza South Municipality by the Ghana Police Service on a suspicion of robbery that had occurred on the Nkoranza- Kintampo road.
Albert Donkor was denied access to a lawyer of his choice, his family members were denied access to him, he was never tried by any competent court and today, all we are hearing is- Albert is no more, how reckless can the Police Service be.
This is indeed an epidemic of injustice, the people of Nkoranza cannot stay silent when innocent Albert Donkor has been targeted and killed.
Given the near instantaneous ability to arrest suspected criminals, the responsibility to accurately and lawfully arrest, takes on unprecedented importance. The speculative and often uninformed initial reporting that characterizes eyewitnesses appears to be rapidly becoming the standard of the Ghana Police Service.
What is the justification for arresting a civilian at his residence and subjecting him to torture causing his death and not that the death occurred as a result of a gun battle at the crime scene.
The rambling explanation given by the Police that the victim was shot by the robberies when the victim led the Police to arrest the other suspects at a ghetto is untenable and cannot be accepted by the people of Nkoranza South as same excuse was given in the bullion van robbery case at Ashaiman.
This is indeed a glaring and unfortunate display of incompetent strategic leadership within the Police Service. In fact, with this culture of policing, there is no question that Ghana is living a nightmare with no end in sight.
The Police Service should let the people of Nkoranza know the competent court that sanctioned the killing of Albert Donkor.
I call on the President, Ministers of State, colleague MPs, human rights organisations and the clergy to add their voice to this clarion call to demand justice for Albert Donkor who was shot by the Police, leading to his untimely death as a result of the unprofessional conduct of some men in uniform.
Finally, I wish to also call on Ghanaians to trend the hashtag #Justice4AlbertDonkor on the various social media platforms to make sure that Justice is not only done, but must be seen to be done.
HON. EMMANUEL KWADWO AGYEKUM
(MP FOR NKORANZA SOUTH CONSTITUENCY)
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