A former Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, has taken a swipe at the Upper West Regional Police Command for its inability to intervene during the flogging of two persons in Wa over a leaked sex tape.
Speaking on The Point of View on Citi TV, Nana Oye said, “This is horrible, to say the least. It paints a very bad picture of the municipality and the country as a whole. I am very shocked that all relevant authorities are saying the incident happened in their absence. Why should this happen in 2022?”
She said she is not shocked at the “reaction of a section of the public over the leaked sex tape, on moral grounds, but that the security, whose duty it is to maintain law and order, could not intervene.”
“The REGSEC and other security agencies could not intervene. Just a few years ago, also in the Northern part, we had an elderly woman stoned to death on grounds that she was a witch. We all criticised it and said we would ensure it never occurs again in the future.”
“I am disappointed in the inability of security agencies, particularly the police, to maintain law and order.”
She called on relevant stakeholders to take the matter up as “it is an issue of serious concern.”
Reports indicate that the two were arrested by some young men in the town, who sent them to the Palace.
The Wa Naa was absent upon their arrival, compelling the young men to take matters into their own hands and deliver punishment.
They were given twenty lashes each.
The incident has drawn the ire of Ghanaians, who have called for sanctions against those involved.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Wa, Issahaku Tahiru Moomen, condemned the incident and assured that all who are found guilty will be made to face the law.
“REGSEC will meet on Thursday to investigate the issue. We will ensure that whoever is behind this act will face the full rigors of the law. We do not support this in any way. There are no bye-laws in favour of this act.”
He indicated that the incident happened in the absence of him and the Regional Minister.
“We have been out of the country for some days now. We saw this on social media and immediately contacted the police. With such issues, you don’t rush to take decisions but hand it over to the security agencies to do their work,” he added.
Meanwhile, three persons have been arrested in connection with the flogging of two.
The three suspects include the person who brought the victims to the place and two sub-chiefs.
