Ashanti regional minister justifies military deployment to Ejura

Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei Mensah said intelligence received by the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) forced him to deploy military and police personnel to the city.

He said the reports he reported included threats by Ejura youth to burn public and private property after the funeral of social activist Mohammed Ibrahim, also known as Kaaka.

The minister told the three-member committee, tasked with investigating the circumstances of the shooting deaths of two young protesters in Ejura last week, that the law establishing the Security Council grants him such powers.

The committee chaired by a judge of the court of appeal, Judge George Kingsley Koomson, will receive testimony to determine the cause of the violence and make recommendations to the president.

Simon Osei Mensah, who was the first witness, told the committee that the deployment was sent to maintain law and order.

“I received reports that the young people were planning to destroy the Ejura police station and a house belonging to two suspects arrested in connection with Kaaka’s death.

“So based on this information, I ordered the police and the army to go to the city and maintain public order and I did so as chairman of the regional security council. because the law gives me that power, ”he told the committee.

Mr. Osei Mensah also said security agencies were bombarded with stones and other missiles, forcing them to respond to protesters, some of whom were seriously injured.

However, he is unable to say who fired the shots.

“The original plan was to go there and maintain law and order, but on the way back from the cemetery after Kaaka’s burial, the young people started attacking the police water cannon vehicle and I have a video to back that up… indeed the professionalism of the water cannon police vehicle driver prevented what could have been a crash of the Protestant, at this point the army intervened and the shots went down started but I can’t tell you he fired, ”added Osei Mensah.

Despite the plea and assurances of protection from the person who recorded a video that allegedly captured the young Ejura throwing stones at the police, the regional minister of Ashanti said he would reveal the identity of the person by saying that he doubted that the committee could protect him.