A criminologist and lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr Jones Opoku-Ware, has urged the Ghana Police Service to take its duties seriously, dismissing its claim of declaring a manhunt for an Islamic cleric who was captured on video assaulting a suspect in police custody at the headquarters.
He described the incident as a major indictment of the Service that deeply undermines standard policing practices.
The lecturer stated that because the assault occurred directly under police oversight, issuing a public statement declaring a manhunt is an insult to the intelligence of Ghanaians.
Dr Opoku-Ware posited that what makes the incident particularly troubling is the fact that the victim was handcuffed and under police guard at the time of the attack.
Speaking to host Kwabena Agyapong, he stated that the incident points to only one conclusion: someone in authority within the Police Service allowed the assault to happen.
“I will first describe this as unfortunate. In fact, it is an embarrassment for Ghana, and the Ghana Police Service to be specific. The work of the police requires men and women of integrity to serve. We need officers who will discharge their duties without any form of breach. But what happened is terrible. Suspects are to be protected. Accused persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. That was not the way he should have been treated. The police should have protected him and arraigned him in court,” he said.
“How was it possible for them to have access to the suspect? How did they get there, assault the man, and go on to stream it on social media? The security of the police has been compromised. Is that how we want to do policing in this country? I am very disappointed after seeing the video. I think that the police must begin to review the way they do things. I don’t even want to blame that individual because I believe it is the Police Service that allowed him to go there,” Dr Opoku-Ware added.
He argued that no ordinary civilian would have the audacity to enter a highly secure facility such as the police headquarters to assault a suspect without internal facilitation.
He further slammed the police for declaring a manhunt, insisting that the authorities know the perpetrator and can easily arrest him without public grandstanding.
When asked whether the police should be given the benefit of the doubt, Dr Opoku-Ware firmly rejected the notion, reiterating that streaming live from a secure security installation makes any subsequent statement about a manhunt laughable.
He has subsequently called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to urgently investigate the matter and apply strict sanctions against any officer who may have allowed the individuals to assault the suspect.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana