Sylvester Matthew Tetteh
Member of Parliament (MP) For Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfro, Sylvester Matthew Tetteh, has called on Parliament to launch an investigation into the shooting to death of five persons in Bortianor Hills.
On June 8, 2023, Abraham Tetteh Wayo nicknamed Brother, Augustine Neequaye aka Dada Joe, Daniel Neequaye, Joseph Amankwanor, and an unidentified steel bender were killed in Bortianor in a crossfire between police and suspected criminals.
The police claimed the five were among those terrorising people and landowners in Bortianor and surrounding communities.
“Upon spotting the approaching police team, the suspects opened fire from their hideout, prompting the police to return fire,” a police statement disclosed.
“As a result, five of the suspects were injured and later pronounced dead at the hospital. The remaining suspects fled the scene and are still on the run,” the police indicated.
But the NPP MP insists only a parliamentary enquiry can unravel the truth of the matter “because the chiefs and people of Bortianor and Kokrobite have rejected the claim by the police.”
“We strongly believe that an inquiry could bring out the truth of the matter and bring calm to the people of my constituency,” he said on the floor of Parliament yesterday.
He continued, “This incident has brought uneasy calm in the community.”
“Mr. Speaker, we acknowledge rampant landguard activities in and around the area and constant harassment of residents and builders alike, however reports from the family, friends and those with knowledge of these individuals have refuted the police allegations that these men were involved in landguard activities,” Mr. Tetteh noted.
According to him, the chiefs and residents are aware of the daily collection of tolls as part of arrangements pertaining to sand winning activities.
“However, this daily collection of tolls does not sit well with other claimants of the same parcel of land that has led to a long protracted land dispute which people believe is a remote cause of this unfortunate incident,” he posited.
He urged the people of Bortianor, Kokrobite and the surrounding areas to “be calm and continue to be law abiding as we allow the competent agencies to take up the matter and ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the incident”.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House