Asawase, a Member of Parliament who has been nominated as Minister-designate for the Interior, has stated that we need an independent body to investigate police complaints.
He said there was the need for an “Independent Police Standards Bureau” to investigate complaints.
Speaking before the vetting committee on Friday, January 24, 2025, he said that there are instances where the police shouldn’t investigate alone but need an independent body to probe complaints against them.
He argued that this will empower public trust and ensure professionalism.
The nominee was asked if he would consider establishing a complaints unit under his direct supervision as Minister, with a Director managing the affairs of the independent body, so that citizens could file complaints, and he assured the committee that he would do so.
He said that an independent body, rather than just the police, should investigate complaints, as seen in other countries, and pledged to collaborate with the police to achieve that goal.
He recounted how seven residents of his constituency were shot and killed and labelled as armed robbers, which turned out to be false after an independent investigation by a committee chaired by a high court judge.
He added that the independent body should include not only the police but also other security services such as the Ghana National Fire Service, the Prisons Service, and all other Interior Ministry agencies.
He did, however, point out that having it under the Ministry may not be beneficial.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
