Police chief rejects marginal claims of his subordinate during bloody by-election

The Accra Region Police Commander denied accusations that a district commander under whose jurisdiction the bloody by-election had taken place was removed from the security plans.

DCOP Patrick Adusei Sarpong said that the DSP George Asare, East Legon District Police Commander, had been included and had been designated to play a leading role in the by – election. Ayawaso West Wuogon.

The January 31 election was bloody as 15 people were hospitalized and several shots broke out at one of the polling stations in La Bawaleshie, East Legon District.

DSP George Asare pointed out that, in accordance with police operations, the Accra Region Police Command took over the security of the polling stations. But their chief of operations within his jurisdiction for the day was Chief Superintendent Kwasi Ofori.

The East Legon District Police Commander said he was brought in after the outbreak of the violence and explained how his "tactical" intervention had helped to defuse tensions.

Photo: DSP George Asare is the second police officer to testify at the Commission.

But during a commission of inquiry into the violence, said the commander of the Accra region, he sent a WhatsApp message to some police commanders, including DSP George Asare.

The message sent to DSP Asare during the hearing was as follows: "Have a good evening at the RHQ at 5 am to join other officers and lead the patrol team".

Another directive was given to the district commanders to hand over their official vehicles and their drivers to the command of the region to monitor the polls.

According to the regional commander, he received no response to the instructions. DSP George Asare stated that his police vehicle and his driver had been released in accordance with the instructions.

But the regional commander said his subordinate did not show up for deployment.

"If it had come, we would have deployed it," DCOP Adusei Sarpong told the Emile Short Commission on Tuesday.

But later in the day after nine, he received a call from DSP George Asare telling him he was taking his child to the hospital.

During his testimony last week, DSP George Asare said Friday he left the police station to vote and find the suspects behind the police cells.