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The regional police commander of Accra said that the appeal to political parties to dissolve their self-defense groups would not be enough to combat the phenomenon of political vigilance.
DCOP, Patrick Adusei Sarpong, suggested that the appeal be supported by legislation that can be enforced.
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He said recent experiences, including last Monday's shooting in Kumasi in the Ashanti region, involving members of a group linked to the National Democratic Congress (NCD), have shown that it is not enough to ask parties to dissolve such groups.
In response to questions from the Justice Short commission at its meeting yesterday in Accra, DCOP Sarpong said that he did not think the call for the dissolution of the groups was enough.
"I do not think the appeal is sufficient unless there is a will to dissolve. If the will is not there, we must ban groups. In this case, legislation will be the solution, "he said.
Suspicion of opposition
A little earlier, DCOP Sarpong, the trustee of the commission's board, told the commission that politicians had formed these groups to protect themselves.
When asked if he knew that opposition parties tended to form these groups, convinced that the police were serving the whims of the government, he acquiesced.
He explained that this is why politicians trusted the police when they were in government "but when they are out of government, they do not do it".
"When they are in government, they have some influence on the police.
When they are not in power, they do not have it and, therefore, they are afraid and fear that the power they used when they were in power would be used against them.
They are afraid of their own shadows, "he said.
Remove political influence
Asked what could be done to suppress political influence, he said that in his personal opinion as an individual and not as a police officer, "politicians should be politicians and allow agents to do their security work. "
"I do not know if it will be possible or feasible, but if politicians withdraw from security and allow security guards to do their work unhindered, then, over time, it can be maintained," he said. he declares.
Ball holes
Mr. Sarpong also told the commission that he had seen bullet holes on the walls of the school building at the Bawaleshie polling station, where acts of violence had been recorded.
Responding to questions from a member of the commission, Mr. Patrick Acheampong, he stated that he had about seven or eight holes when he answered a call from the police and radio station. East Legon police commander, the DSP George Asare, about the shooting and the violence that occurred at the airport. Bawaleshie
Mr. Sarpong, who is the eighth witness to testify before the commission, said he also saw another bullet pierced in a container near the house of the NDC parliamentary candidate, Mr. Delali Kwasi Bimpong.
It was the second time that a witness appearing before the committee was saying that there were traces of shots outside the home of the parliamentary candidate.
The first person was the commander of East Legon Police.
Operational details
Regarding the operational details, he said the day in question, the Accra Regional Police Command deployed a combined team of 769 police and immigration officers.
He denied, however, claims that the East Legon police commander was out of the way, insisting that he had sent a WhatsApp message to Commander Legon around 9 pm 39, inviting him to go to the headquarters of the Accra region to lead a patrol team during the elections. Asare did not answer the message.
NDC Intelligence
Asked that the police were aware of the information that the NDC would have received about the possibility of a group disrupting the elections the previous day, Mr. Asare replied that this information had not been communicated to the police.
With regard to the question of whether the security of the candidates in the by-election was badured, given the violence that occurred during the by-elections in Ghana, the regional commander of Accra said that such a provision had not been taken because it had been adequately prepared. all voters, including candidates when they went out to vote.
He said, however, that this could be considered for the future.
Below are excerpts from yesterday's session.
Commissioner Justice Short (CJS): Is there collaboration between you and the SWAT National Security Team?
DCOP Sarpong: No, Mr. Chairman.
CJS: Do not you think it would have been prudent to inform you of this operation?
DCOP Sarpong: Mr. Chair, even the exercise they were going to do, if they had given it to the regional command, we could have done it. But we did not know anything about the exercise until we heard about what was going on.
CJS: In fact, what you are saying is that there is no collaboration between national security and regional command.
DCOP Sarpong: Not at all.
CJS: Is it useful for security in this country?
DCOP Sarpong: I do not think so, Mr. President.
CJS: What about the IGP? To your knowledge, would he be aware of SWAT National Security operations?
DCOP Sarpong: He may be aware because he is attending meetings on national security. I do not know if it was discussed there. The regional commander in Accra does not attend national security meetings.
Commissioner Mensah Bonsu (CMB): As a seasoned police officer, will you advise that the SWAT National Security Team is adequately led by an ASP or DSP, without proper oversight on the part of from a higher hierarchy of the Ghana Police Service?
DCOP Sarpong: I will suggest that a senior manager be responsible for taking charge of them if it is ever necessary to keep them.
CMB: Do you think that being headed to this level by a newly promoted ASP or DSP is adequate?
DCOP Sarpong: I do not think so.
CMB: And these people follow their instructions to a colonel, if I understand correctly, who has no training in homeland security. Do you think this arrangement should stay?
DCOP Sarpong: I'm not aware of it, but I think the police who receive instructions from a military police officer is not …
CMB: You talked about the IGP by clearly explaining to the political parties that they should dissolve their groups. Will they do it or is it necessary to legislate?
DCOP Sarpong: I do not think the call will suffice. From what we heard on the radio about what happened in Kumasi last Monday, I do not think the call alone is sufficient unless there is a willingness of dissolution. If the will is not there, we must ban groups. In this case, legislation will be the solution.
Media
The editor of Joy News, Mr. Evans Mensah, also appeared before the commission to explain how, along with other journalists from the Multimedia group, he had covered the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election. .
Mr. Mensah, accompanied by his counsel, Mr. Sampson Lardi Anyenini, also made recommendations to the commission on how to manage the so-called self-defense groups and on how the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies could better play their role in ensuring the safety of people. Ghanaians, especially during the elections.
It also committed to providing the Commission with video and audio recordings of the shooting and domestic security brutality that occurred on January 31, 2019.
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