COMMITTEE BEGINS HEARING ON ASHAIMAN SHOOTING (PAGE 54)

THE five-member committee of enquiry set up by the Ministry of the Interior to investigate the shooting incident at Ashaiman on June 3, 2008 held its inaugural sitting yesterday at Ashaiman.
The committee, chaired by Mr Justice C.J. Honyenuga, Justice of the Court of Appeal, has as its members Professor Ken Attafuah, a lawyer; Commissioner of Police Kwasi Nkansa (retd); Mrs Adelaide Annor-Kumi, lawyer and a Directoor at the MInistry of the Interior and Prof. Kofi Agyekum, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon.
The committee is to investigate the circumstances that led to the incident which culminated in the death of two people and injury to several others and submit its findings in two weeks.
Mr Justice Honyenuga said the committee was a fact-finding one that would expect witnesses before it to give evidence on conscience.
He said the investigative panel on the committee did not represent any interest group and gave the assurance that they would be unbiased and remain honest in the discharge of the task.
Mr Justice Honyenuga disclosed that the committee would allow legal representation, adding that all stakeholders including the transport unions, bereaved families, the police, injured victims, opinion leaders and chiefs would be welcomed.
He said the committee would also accept written documents and memoranda which should be submitted to the secretariats set up at the Ministry of the Interior and the Ashaiman District Assembly.
The Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Mr Alfred Agbesi, indicated his intention to be counsel for the bereaved family of the 11-year-old boy, Moses Kasim, who died during the incident.
A member of the committee, Prof. Attafuah, explained that Mr Agbesi was one of the eminent people who the committee intended seeking opinions from and therefore requested that he could submit written document to it for reference purposes.
The first witness to appear before the committee was the Secretary of the Ghana Highway branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, Mr Francis Kwaku Gomi, who gave evidence about what happened on June 2 and 3 when a misunderstanding erupted between the commercial drivers in Ashaiman and the police.
Led in evidence by Prof. Attafua, Mr Gorni said on June 2, after he had closed from work in the evening and was on his way home, he had a call from a colleague, Mr Djangma, who is the second trustee of the GPRTU, that some drivers had been arrested by the Ashaiman police MTTU but he only instructed that they must apply for bail.
Mr Gomi said he did not receive any feedback and therefore concluded that the arrested drivers had been bailed.
When asked by Prof. Attafuah what role he played at the GPRTU, he said his duties included ensuring that all disputes affecting highway members were resolved.
Mr Gomi said on June 3, he was informed on phone to keep away because the drivers were on a ‘peaceful demonstration’ as a result of the arrests the pervious day.
He said he, however, used some routes behind the Ashaiman Divisional Police building, which took him to the GPRTU offices in the Fire Service building.
He was not sure of the number of drivers arrested but said on consultation later the drivers were released at about 1 p.m..
When asked what he saw at the scene of the shooting, Mr Gomi said there were some strange things.
When asked what he meant by strange things, he said “bullets shells, empty water sachets, stones and sticks were scattered around”.
Mr Gorni said the relationship between the police and the drivers had been very cordial before and after the incident but appealed for the provision of adequate lorry parks and parking lots to eliminate illegal imposition of charges on drivers by the police.