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Ashaiman Police work under unacceptable conditions - MP

The Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Mr Alfred Agbesi has bemoaned the deplorable conditions under which the police work in the Ashaiman Municipality.

Date Created : 8/8/2008 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : GNA

According to him, senior police officers together with their families reside in single rooms describing the police accommodation in the municipality as pigeon holes adding that, the police in Ashaiman work under unacceptable conditions.

He said it was unfortunate that foundation that was laid for the construction of police quarters in 1964 has been neglected and an effort for its continuation has proven futile.

Mr Agbesi who appeared before the Committee of Enquiry investigating the Ashaiman shooting incident on Monday blamed the poor relationship between the police and the public, especially drivers on the harsh conditions personnel work under.

The MP, citing example of the conditions said police personnel at the charge office of the Ashaiman police station daily inhale stench emanating from the cells which has over 40 inmates even though it was originally created for 12 suspects.

Mr. Agbesi recommended that the Ashaiman District Police station must swap offices with the Ashaiman Divisional Police headquarters, explaining that the current premises of the District station near the main lorry station usually get crowded unlike the headquarters due to its limited space.

He also called on the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly and other stakeholders to create more lorry parks in the municipality to check the parking of vehicles on the roads, noting that, the vehicular population in the municipality was enormous.

The Ashaiman MP also refuted the media report that the incident occurred because inhabitants of the municipality are hooligans, observing that, we have very respectable people residing in Ashaiman.

Mr Jonas Tetteh, a 22-year-old driver who plies Dodowa-Ashaiman, narrating incidents that led to the June 3 misunderstanding between the police and the drivers, said a senior police officer and two other personnel took the indignation key of his Nissan Urvan bus on June 2.

Mr. Tetteh stated that the senior police official, whose name he could not give held his shirt, pulled him from the lorry, slapped him and together with the others dragged him to the police station without pointing out his offence to him.

The victim further said he received a blow across his right eye at the charge office, resulting in a cut on the right eyebrow when he demanded to know his offence as well as a plea to inform his master of the incident.

According to him together with four other drivers from Ningo and Michel Camp, they were detained overnight and were brought out to write their statements on June 3 when some people started throwing stones into the charge office.

The five-member Committee with Justice C. J Honyenuga of the Appeal Court as chairman was told by Mr Ofori Braima, father of 22-year-old Moses Ofori, one of the two who lost their lives during the incident that after being informed of the incident by his nephew, he saw the body of his dead son on television at Fumso near Obuasi at about 1200 hours on the same day.

He said the uncle of the deceased told him later that, Ofori who sleeps in his uncle\'s shop opposite the Ashaiman police station was on his way to nature\'s call when he decided to help the boy who has been shot but he was also hit by a stray bullet.

Mr Braima said after subsequent meetings with the police and other family members, the police provided GH¢2,100 for the funeral rites of his son.

Madam Dedo Tetteh, mother of nine-year-old Moses Tawiah Kassim, who was killed by stray bullet said shortly after she gave Moses five Ghana pesewas to attend nature\'s call she heard of his death.

Madam Tetteh stated that the police apart from the GH¢1,200 provided for the funeral have neglected them and appealed to the Committee to ensure that the government supports her as her son was brilliant and would have been an asset to the family.

A five-member committee was appointed by the government to investigate circumstances that led to the Ashaiman police-drivers confrontation over wrongful parking begun its public sitting on Monday July 28. The committee is supposed to complete investigation on August 13.