The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Africa Office, has called for a probe into the Bortianor shooting incident, which left five people dead.
“The shooting of suspected land guards, regardless of their alleged involvement in criminal activities, is a grave violation to the principle of the assumption of innocence until proven guilty and their right to life,” CHRI said.
A press release issued and copied the Ghana News Agency said: “It is worthy to note that subsequent reports from chiefs and locals have contradicted the police’s account of the said incident.”
The contradictory statements, it said were consistent with previous incidents of mismatched police and community accounts.
It said it was based on such conflicting information that the CHRI and its partners had been calling for the establishment of an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) for about a decade now.
“We wish to condemn this recurring use of lethal force by the police in dealing with suspects and call for a thorough and independent investigation to bring those responsible to justice and would also like to express our sincerest condolences to the bereaved families.”
The incident, which occurred on Thursday, June 08, 2023, keeps bringing to fore serious questions about the use of force by law enforcement agencies in Ghana.
The Ghana Police Service, it said, must adhere to the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials as well as the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.
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