Chief Superintendent Kwesi Ofori, the Regional Operational Commander of the Ghana Police Service, has appeared before the Emile Short Commission today, to give his testimony and answer questions on the La Bawaleshie Electoral violence.
According to Chief Supt. Ofori, prior to the appearance of DSP Abena Kwabena before the Commission, he had not been informed that the Youth Chief of Wala was in possession of empty gun shells.
He has said that following the revelation by DSP Kwabena before the Commission, he has ordered an officer to follow up to a Youth Chief of Wala, resident at Agbogbloshie, whom he suspects to be the same person chief DSP Kwabena was referring to.
He also added that he will make an inquiry as to why empty shells were not recovered after the shootings.
Chief Superintendent Kwesi Ofori has said that at the time the National Security SWAT unit arrived at the La Bawaleshie Presbyterian School, no officer had reported the appearance of strange force that was not deployed to the polling station.
” For effective police purposes, their mere presence should have attracted a police officer to report, but nothing of the sort came to our attention. I believe the personnel at La Bawaleshie were not sharp enough”, he added.
He further said that the SWAT team from the National Security, created some problem of command and control, as the police deployed to La Bawaleshie, were not aware of their operation.
Chief Superintendent Kwesi Ofori expressed concern on how policemen who try to enforce the law as part of their duties, by arresting vigilantes, are linked to political parties.
“We need not to reduce Ghana to the level of vigilantism like the past years of Bosnia and Liberia”, he said.
Source: GhanaJustice/S.Ayisi
