Ejura Probe: Not Even One Person Has Confidence In The Committee – Kofi Bentil

The Vice President of Imani Africa has alleged that most Ghanaians have no faith in the Committee of Inquiry set up by the Interior Ministry to probe circumstances that led to the death of two residents of Ejura on June 29.

Kofi Bentil said on JoyNews‘ Newsfile, Saturday, that his assertion is based on the line of questions and comments from the members of the Committee, which does not seem to be in relation to the Terms of Reference (ToR).

“I have found nobody, not even one person who has any confidence in the Committee. It looks like they just assembled them to waste our money and insult our intelligence. Even some of the people who are trying to use their narrative to tow a certain line are being cautious about it. What I can see clearly is that that committee looks like they are searching for a narrative to support a preset story and nobody is buying it,”

“Sometimes we make a mess when we ignore the very obvious issues and try very hard to create a different set of facts. We have a situation here, where in the face of clear evidence we are being invited to split heads about esoteric ideas some of which have very little capability,” he told Samson Lardi Anyenini, host of the Show.

Some issues he opined should not be given relevance included; the notion that the protestors may have shot themselves since reports from the medical team indicated that the victims were shot from the back.

“For instance, like they shot themselves. Like the protestors were armed when we have no video evidence, when there is a doctor that says the people were shot from the back. And we are being invited to analyze the sound of guns. At the same time, we have video of people kneeling and taking aim and people firing and we are leaving that,” he wondered.

The three-member Committee was instituted by the Minister for the Interior, Amrose Dery, upon a directive by President Akufo-Addo. The Committee’s Terms of Reference (ToR), was to, “probe circumstances that led to the June 29, 2021 incident at Ejurasekyedumase and submit a report with recommendations for appropriate action to be taken by July 9, 2021

It is chaired by George Kingsley Koomson, Justice of the Court of Appeal. Members are; Security Expert, Dr Vladimir Antwi Danso, Juliet Amoah, Executive Director of Penplusbyte, a Civil Society Organisation

The three-member Committee, commenced public hearing on Tuesday, July, 6. So far, Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, JoyNews‘ Erastus Donkor, Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP David Agyemang Adjem, Central Commander of the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General Joseph Aphour and the MCE of Ejura Sekyedumase, Mohammed Salisu Bamba and the Medical Superintendent of Ejura Government Hospital, Dr Mensah Manye.

Meanwhile, the Committee has requested an extension of the deadline for the submission of its report from the Minister of the Interior to enable it exhaust a list of witnesses it planned to invite. The request has been granted. they are now required to submit the report on Friday July 16, 2021.

 

Source: myjoyonline.com