Parliamentary Committee says Soldiers who Brutalized Ashaiman Residents Must be Punished.
The Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Interior, charged with investigating the chaos that erupted among Ashaiman’s inhabitants.
This has been handed in its report, which, among other things, calls for the military personnel responsible for the May 7, 2024, early-morning raid to be punished.
In its report, the committee indicated that the military’s actions violate Section 32 of the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105).
The Committee also recommends that the soldiers who engaged in the excesses associated with the operation should be identified and dealt with according to section 32 of the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105), which states that:
“Any person in the Armed Forces who behaves in a cruel or disgraceful manner shall be guilty of an offence and on conviction liable to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years.
” The report also called for a broader cooperation between the various security agencies and for internal security investigations to be left to the Ghana Police Force.
Again, the Committee recommends that the National Security Council ensures that there is collaboration and coordination among the security agencies in the country, particularly between the Armed Forces and the Police Service.
The Committee urges the Security Services to comply with their respective mandates as provided by law.
The Committee stressed that military involvement in internal security operations should only be used as a last resort, and the Police Department should always be the primary agent in such operations.
To prevent such excesses, effective coordination of intelligence must be promoted at the National Security Council level.
