The National Peace Council is asking the Police Service to be more transparent with investigations into the incidents of violence recorded during the voter registration exercise.
The National Chairman of the National Peace Council, Rev. Prof Emmanuel Asante, told Citi News the police needed to “institute a platform that will regularly inform the public about the progress of such ongoing investigations.”
He stressed that it was important to influence the perception of the Ghanaians because “people think that when people do these things, they get away with it.”
“They should ensure that people who flouted the law and did what was wrong must be brought to book… It is their responsibility. It is the responsibility of the law enforcement agencies to crack the whip when these things do happen,” the Peace Council Chairman added.
Some of the high profile incidents of violence during the voter registration included the Awutu Senya East Constituency Member of Parliament, Mavis Hawa Koomson, firing a gun at a registration centre during a clash between National Democratic Congress and New Patriotic Party members.
The MP was invited for interrogation in July but there has been no update on the case in recent times.
Mrs. Koomson claimed that she fired the weapon in self-defence and has received backing from NPP executives and government appointees.
The Asawase constituency in the Ashanti Region also recorded scuffle between supposed national security personnel and a police officer.
In Banda, Silas Wulochamey, a 28-year-old man was stabbed to death at a registration centre at Banda in the Bono Region during an altercation between some NDC and NPP supporters.
Similar call from CODEO
The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) earlier called on the Inspector-General of Police to fast track investigations and prosecution of persons who perpetrated violence during the voter registration exercise.
CODEO also asked the IGP to make available findings of its investigations public to foster confidence in the security agencies.
It cited the incidents at Banda and Dormaa West all in the Bono Region and Awutu Senya East in the Central Region in a report.
“CODEO urges the Police administration to share updates of these investigations with the Ghanaian public to foster confidence in the security agencies and to also serve as a deterrent against future incidents of this nature. Failure to enforce the rule of law will erode confidence in the security agencies and the rule of law,” it said.
