Emile Short
A three-member Commission of Inquiry has been established by the government to investigate the violence and shooting incident that marred the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election on Thursday, January 31, 2019.
Members of the Commission, according to the statement, are Justice Emile Short, former CHRAJ Commissioner, who is to serve as Chairperson; Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, former Dean of Law Faculty, University of Ghana and Patrick K. Acheampong, former Inspector General of Police (IGP), with Ernest Kofi Abotsi, former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and private legal practitioner as Secretary to the Commission.
A statement issued today by the Director of Communications at the Jubilee House, Eugene Arhin, said the Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia formed the Commission with consent from President Akufo-Addo.
According to the statement, the Commission has as its terms of reference to make a full, faithful and impartial inquiry into the circumstances of the incident and establish the facts leading to the events and associated violence during the by-election to identify any person responsible for the violence.
The statement indicated that the Commission is also to inquire into any matter which it considers incidental or reasonably related to the causes of the events and the associated violence and injuries and to submit within one month its report to the President.
Demand for probe
The Ayawaso shooting incident, which took place at residence of National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the race, Dellali Brempong, according to the Ghana Police, left six persons injured after they reportedly sustained various degrees of gunshot wounds.
The Police, in a statement, indicated that the victims were sent to the Legon and 37 Military Hospitals respectively for medical attention.
The incident attracted a widespread condemnation from the public, with calls on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to constitute a commission to investigate the shootings.
Pressure Group, OccupyGhana specifically asked government to constitute what it termed ‘a proper commission of inquiry under Chapter 23 of the Constitution’ to inquire into the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence.
OccupyGhana explained in a statement that the inquiry was necessary because “no person or group of persons should be allowed to destroy our reputation, disrupt our peace and denigrate the pillars of civility we have worked so hard to achieve.”
BY Melvin Tarlue