The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is accusing the Interior Ministry of sabotaging a legislation that will check the conduct of police personnel in the country.
In an interaction with the host Kwaku Owusu Adjei on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.5 FM, the Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal, said it’s about time the Attorney General(AG) introduces a bill in parliament- an Independent Police complaint Commission which is independent of the executive to ensure that some pursuant amendments are made to take away the power of the Police to investigate themselves and allow that commission to take over.
“We have run this by several Ministers of Interior-You know the Police fall under the Ministry of Interior. In fact they’ve all resisted the attempt at pushing for any legislation that will bring about an independent commission which is independent of the executive.” he bemoaned.
He added:”We need a fair minded executive that appreciates that for the sake of the people of Ghana, we need to hold the Police accountable through any mechanism that will hold them in check and that is important.”
This comes on the back of various assaults on Journalists and the civilian population at large.
CHRAJ has called for the prosecution of the 10 police officers who allegedly assaulted three Ghanaian Times journalists in Accra on Thursday, March 14, 2019.
CHRAJ asked that the three victims be compensated for the injuries and losses they suffered.
The affected journalists- Salifu Abdul Rahman, Malik Sulemana, and Raissa Sambou Ebu- were said to be travelling in their official vehicle to their various assigned venues when they decided to film an accident involving a police officer riding an unregistered motorcycle and the vehicle transporting them at Kinbu in Accra central.
The about 10 police officers who were not happy that the journalists had attempted to record the accident and the ensuing exchanges between their driver and the police motor rider, pounced on the journalists and physically assaulted them.
Mrs Sambou, a lactating mother was rushed to the emergency unit of the Ridge Hospital, while Sullemana, who received a chunk of the assault was locked up at the Ministries Police Station, but was later released.
