Elders of Wassa Fiase accuse Police of Injustice and Bias

A number of Elders in the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area in the Western Region have accused the police of Aboso and Tarkwa of what they call, (WFTA) gross injustice, bias, among others in the area.

The aggrieved elders maintained that the conduct of the police is causing insecurity disorder, dispute and chaos in the traditional area, thereby creating a time bomb there; and if it is not promptly defused, it could explode more than the recent Appiate explosion. This is because the people have endured there for far too long to such intolerable and unbearable situation extent.

Claiming to be the genuine royals in the area, the aggrieved elders who are calling for immediate intervention, interrogation and investigation by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the concerned authorities maintained that their claims are the bare truth and nothing else. “The truth is one! We have proof and evidence to all our claims.” They claimed insisting on truthfulness of their claims, they gave their names as, Nana Anoku Addaa, Chief of Pieso and Manhwirenhene of the Wassa  Fiase Traditional  Area (WPTA), Nana Okyere Oteso, Gyasehene of the WFTA; Nana Kwabena Asante I (Chief of Aboso and Nana Amankwah), Abuasuapanin of Nnadieso.

Others are, Nana Adunya, Caretaker (Chief of Nsagyeso, Op. Aidoo Amanpanyi of WFTA; (Nana Essien, Opinion Leader Nana Kofi Gyau, Kofi Gyankrom chief. “The IGP and concerned authorities should call as anywhere and we shall come to testify! “They maintained.

Meanwhile, a petition, dated January 29 2019, with the title, “Threat of harm, disorder, insecurity and dispute in Wassa Fiase Area”, and addressed to the Director General, CID Hdqts, Accra and sited by this medium, attests to claims, Ag Chief of Aboso Nana Asante, accused the Tarkwa District  Police Commander, Chief  Superintendent, Thomas  Osei Ababio; Chief Inspector Joseph Amoako of Aboso Police Station; Detective  Inspector Williams of Aboso Police Station of interfering in the rule of the Comanhene Odeneho Akrofa Krukoko II. According the petition, the Police have also been using Macho men to prevent and stop Odeneho from attending traditional council meetings.

HOST OF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST POLICE

Police Turn Kingmakers?

According to the aggrieved elders the Police have arrogated to them solves the unfettered powers of who is chief for certain towns in the likes of one John Bosco Quinoo of Aboso, stying himself as Nana Bosco and Paul Ayipa of Nadieso, styling himself as Nana Kobina Amoah III Chief of Nadieso, Meanwhile, a correspondance from the Omanhene dated July 27, 2021, disclaims these people as chiefs stressing that they have no authority whatsoever to perform any functions as chiefs or grant any or grant interest over any land.

In another correspondence sited by us, with the date, December 6, 2021 and titled “Re: Petition Against Bosco Quaino for falsely parading himself as a chief, Nana Kwabena Asante I, Ag Chief of Aboso is making a request on a previous petition on the subject matter. This petition had also been addressed to. The Director, Criminal investigations, Department (CID), Police Headquarters Accra.

ALLEGED POLICE BLUFF AND BIAS

According to the elders, all these correspondences notwithstanding, the police are rather siding with the above-named illegal chiefs, and instead clamping down on their (Elders) meeting ranging from birthday parties to social gatherings. They cited a case in which their queen mother, Abadu’s birthday celebration was stopped and she was sent to court for prosecution. They maintain further that, when they report any matter to the Aboso Police in particular, their grievances are glossed over by the police. However, those reports from the “illegal Chiefs” are not with swift action because of money, claiming that the police are on the pay roll at of these illegal chiefs. They claim that the Aboso Police, headed by chief Inspector Amoako do not only interrupt their gathering with brute force, but also use Macho men in such actions. Also, they use the military in most cases, thus intimidating and cowing them into fearful submission.

INTIMIDATING SEARCHES WITHOUT WARRANT

The aggrieved elders claimed that on one occasion, the police backed by Macho men, stormed the house of Nana Kwabena Asante I with guns and Pepper spray to conduct an illegal search without an approved court warrant.

GH¢5000.00 PAYMENT FOR ACCIDENT VICTIMS?

According to the elders, the police at Aboso headed by Inspector Amoako Charge GH¢5000.00 from parents and guardians of accident victims, especially those who die at Galamsey sites before their corpse are released for burial.

Corroborating to this, two ladies, Mum Boah of Nsuaem and Dorothy Appiah of Aboso claim that their two daughters aged 3¹/₂ years each, died the same day in June last year, and their corpses found in an abandoned shallow well. The traumatized mothers maintained that thought they suspected foul play in the mysterious death of their children, the Aboso police failed to conduct any investigation into the issue. Instead, they were charged GH¢1000.00 each before the burial of their dead children. They gave the names of their deceased children as Maami Esi and Naa Amisah. According to them, their children’s death was the third in the role of deaths in that well. All the same, the police were only interested the payment of “death fees”.

POLICE REBATAL

When Inspector Amoako, station officer of the Aboso police station against whom many of the allegations were made, he referred us to his commander, Chief Superintendent Thomas Osei Ababio when he was contacted, he refuted all allegations.

Before Inspector Amoako in his office at Tarkwa; Superintendent Osei Ababio described all these allegations as baseless, unfounded and palpable lies. He challenged all aggrieved persons making what he called wild allegations to come out clean.

WE ARE NOT KING MAKERS

The commander also denied ever involving themselves in any chieftaincy issues. We are police officers and not king makers. We do not enstool no destool chiefs. We act in accordance with records and correspondence from the Traditional Council at Tarkwa. He maintained that the police are there to protect life and property in line with the law. Therefore, whoever approaches them with any reports it is thoroughly investigated since “ Every caller is a potential ally, “ he stressed. The Commander denied any bias on the part of the police, and challenged any aggrieved persons to come properly.

IGP MUST CALL US FOR INVESTIGATION

Meanwhile, the aggrieved elders, insisting that their claims are nothing but the truth, have appealed to the IGP to thoroughly investigate these issues and many more by inviting them. They also maintained that it is because some of the Police in the area have over stayed, hence their involvement in such acts.

But to this, Commander Osei Ababio stated that the so-called aggrieved elders are not the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for them to teach the IGP, his work.

“This show the people you are dealing with, Just go to the Traditional Council and find out the truth for yourself” he stressed.

LAWYERS CORROBORATE ELDERS CLAIMS

Also correspondence from lawyers of the elders, sited by us land to lend credence to the claims of the elders Korsah Ackah Caw Firms in a letter dated 21^st December, 2020 sent to the Attormey General, has the heading “Re: Forgery of Chief and Extracts from the National House of Chiefs by Solomon Ntrakwa (Styling himself as Nana Akwasi Appiah I) at Kofigyankrom; John Bosco Quainoo at Aboso in the Wassa Fiase Traditional Area.

It states in parts inta-allia; “ Our Clients worry is that all attempts to get the Tarkwa Divisional and District Police Commanders to investigate this matter has fallen on deafer, as the as the Police continue to give Ntrakwa and Boseo Quainoo needless protection notwithstanding many petitions written by our clients to the police.

It continues “Our clients humbly petitions your office to call for all cases being investigated and prosecuted based on complaints by Solomon Ntrakwa and John Boseo Quiano and their agents and privies before the Tarkwa Circuit and District courts under the supervision of the Tarkwa District Commander for thorough investigation and advise from the needless harassment of our client and his subjects at Aboso and Nadieso by the police.

BEPONG ELDERS JOIN THE FRAY

Briefing this medium at a gathering, elders of Bepong in the Traditional Area maintained that they have not escaped these police brutalities.

According to them, they have been at the receiving end of police brutalities over the years to unacceptable and unbearable extent. They maintain that as a result, they are living in object fear and uncertainty at these hands of the police.

POLICE SUPERVISE ILLEGAL ENSTOOLMENT

The aggrieved elders stated that the police have cowed them into submission takeover the enstoolment of their own chief in the town.

According to them over 51 police personnel, 5 military, 3 state security men stormed their town about 5 years ago and supervised the enstoolment of an illegal chief  at night. They claimed that all efforts to have this issues addressed through correspondence have proved futile.

OUR FATHER IG, WE COUNT ON YOU.

The elders indicated that the base on clarion call by the new IG, Dr Akufo Danpare to bring to the fore all malicies concerning the police everywhere, they are bringing their grievance to him for fresh investigation, interrogation and possible prosecution of all police personnel involved in these acts.

Present at the meeting inclucted Nana Kwaw Gyetual Gyasehene of Bepong, Nana Kwaw Gyasi, Benkumhene of Bepong and the Obaahemaa of Bepong.

By S.O. ANKAMAH TARKWA ABOSO