Report on 2020 electoral violence in Techiman South referred to A-G for compensation to families of victims – Muntaka

 

The Interior Minister, Muntaka Mubarak, has said that the report on the Electoral Violence that occurred at Techiman South during the 2020 general elections has been referred to the Attorney-General for compensation to the families of the deceased and the injured.

He also announced that the docket of the case has been referred to the Cold Case Unit of the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) of the police.

During a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, November 4, Muntaka Mubarak stated that the injuries could have been avoided had the security personnel not resorted to the use of live ammunition for crowd control.

“The use of firearms by the security personnel was not done under the command of a senior officer who could have ensured that appropriate rules of engagement were observed,” he said.

Security personnel, especially the police patrol teams at the collation centre, fired indiscriminately, and “in some cases they directed fire at the escaping crowd.

Spent shells could not be retrieved from the scene, and no bullets or projectiles were retrieved from the bodies of the deceased to assist ballistic examinations to identify which weapon caused the injuries or deaths. It made it difficult to bring finality as to how to actually cause the injuries and deaths for now. However, the investigation will continue until justice is done.

 

The minister said that the investigative report recommended that the crowd control response of security personnel by resorting to the firing of live ammunition and also directing fire at the escaping crowd, is not acceptable.

“The victims of the gunshots have suffered injuries that caused them pain and loss of resources for treatment, as well as income. Families have also lost breadwinners. The State should take up the responsibility to compensate the families who lost their breadwinners, as well as those who suffered injuries.

“Police should receive orientation and desist from using lethal force in crowd control situations. Appropriate crowd control gear should be provided to the security services. Party executives, officials, and persons involved in election management should be well educated on the provisions of the Anti-Vigilantism Act, 2019 (Act 999),” it further recommended.