Story: Kwadwo Owusu Aduomi
National Peace Council says the military should have allowed the police to take charge of probe into the killing of a soldier at Ashaiman rather than invading the area and brutalizing residents.
It maintained the police have proven to be a trustworthy investigative body over the years.
George Amoh, Executive Secretary of the Council, said the military’s actions were regrettable.
“I believe the military should have used restraint. The police have the authority to conduct an investigation. The military should have allowed the police to investigate because they have the resources and strategies to find whoever was involved.”
Military personnel stormed Ashaiman on Tuesday dawn March 7, 2023, with helicopters and armoured vehicles, to brutalise civilians following the murder of the military officer, Trooper Sherrif Imoro, who was allegedly stabbed in the town on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
Some innocent residents were lined up and beaten to a pulp as the town became what residents described as a ‘ghost’ area.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in a statement justified the brutalities adding that the raid was not to avenge the death of the soldier but to fish out perpetrators of heinous crimes.
GAF announced that its high command sanctioned the swoop. The military during the swoop arrested 184 suspects, but they were all later released by the military.
The Police after a week of sustained intelligence-led operation arrested the key suspects involved in the murder of Imoro Sherrif.
The arrest was solely police intelligence work without the involvement of the military.
The soldier, according to sources, was from Taifa and heading toward his residence at Zongo-Laka in Ashaiman when the unfortunate incident occurred.
Imoro Sherrif who was found dead in a pool of blood near the Amania Hotel in Ashaiman was laid to rest on March 9.
Though he was carrying a laptop and other electronic gadgets the attackers made away with only his iPhone.