An associate professor at the University of Ghana Law School expressed frustration at the police’s inability to take action against military officers involved in Ashaiman’s atrocities.
Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atuah said the police should have brought the soldiers to justice for their brutality against civilians, which is clearly a violation of Ghanaian law.
He said that the police’s refusal to bring violators to justice simply because of their uniforms was disturbing and had to be quelled in its infancy to create a sense of equality before the law.
“At this point in our democracy, the police must obey the law, especially the constitution, while performing their duties.
“So this is a case where a soldier is allowed to go on a rampage and destroy property and the police can’t arrest him because he’s a man in uniform.
“So it’s very important for the police to do their job, so by now these people should have been caught and dealt with,” he said.
The professor added that police in general should at least try to arrest perpetrators in uniform so that when they fail, the public can confirm that “there are great forces behind them and we can identify place to blame.”
Professor Appiagyei-Atuah noted that the activities of the armed army cannot be justified.
Armed soldiers attacked an area of Ashaiman as part of an operation to find those responsible for their own deaths.
A soldier from the 3rd Infantry Battalion in Sunyani is believed to have been stabbed to death by unidentified assailants in the Ashaiman community.
Videos circulating on social media show civilians being caught lying in mud and being beaten with various objects, among other inhumane punishments.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) in a statement defended their activity in the Ashaiman community.
According to the security agency, the invasion was approved by the Army Command to track down the perpetrators of the heinous crime, not to avenge the soldier’s death.
Source: myjoyonline.com