Manso-Nkwanta killings: Families demand independent body to prosecute 21 police

Families of seven Manso-Nkwanta residents killed four months ago are calling for an independent body to prosecute the 21 policemen accused of unprofessionalism by an investigative committee.

The five-member committee that probed the controversial killings recommended that the 21 police personnel involved in the incident should be interdicted by the police administration and be subjected to formal police criminal investigation into the matter.

 However, relatives of the deceased do not trust the police to do a thorough job.

They say the police administration should not be allowed to prepare the docket based on which the 21 personnel will be prosecuted.

Prior to the committee’s report, the police had alleged that the youth they gunned down in the predominantly Muslim community in the Ashanti Region were armed robbers who engaged them in a gun battle until they were brought down.

The Ashanti Regional Police command even displayed the weapons supposedly used by the victims at a news conference.

But the committee set up by the government to investigate the incident said they did not find any evidence to back the claims of the police.

“We want an independent body to prosecute the police because we don’t trust them,” said Prince Akuta, a relative of one the deceased.

Commissioner of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Joseph Whittal, has backed the call for an independent body to prosecute the officers.

“Commission in the past has pushed for an independent body that should investigate all complaints against the police itself...the police are getting away with so much murder,” said Mr Whittal.

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