DCOP KWASI MENSAH-DUKU Ashanti Regional Police Commander (2)
The last two remains of the seven suspected robbers killed by the police at Manso Nkwanta, in the Amansie West District of Ashanti, have been buried here in Kumasi.
The late Razak Sule and Oliver Konlan, said to be Christians (Catholics) were buried at the Old Tafo cemetery, Saturday, after solemn prayers were said at their homes at Asawasi in Kumasi.
Some Catholic priests were among the mourners who accompanied the bodies to the cemetery. There were also about 20 military personnel.
Earlier Abdul Hannan Basiru, Musah Seidu, Mohammed Bashir Musah, Mohammed Kamil and Baach Bont, had already been buried.
Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Chief Imman, Alhaji Abdul Momeen Harun, led the Zongo community to offer “adoa”, final prayers for all the seven on Sunday at the Central Mosque, here in Kumasi
Earlier burial service for the five at the Central Mosque had witnessed heavy military presence and intelligence officers managed to control the situation as agitated youth and family members made it difficult for the bodies to be brought out of the ambulances for the funeral rites.
Most of the youth and elderly carried placards some of which read: ‘The seven Zongo boys are not armed robbers,’ ‘Police stop killing Zongo youth,’ ‘We are also good citizens’, ‘Professionalism is needed in the Police Service’, ‘Police brutality must end immediately’.
A member of a 15-member committee set up to oversee the burial services, Alhaji Yussif Alhassan, also known as Yusifya appealed to the independent investigative committee set up by the government, to complete and to present the report to calm the nerves of the youth.
Earlier at the burial service of four of the deceased the Member of Parliament for Asawasi, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, called for calm among the community and assured that the perpetrators of the crime, would not go unpunished.
Alhaji Mubarak said all stakeholders would be watching with keen interest as they would go every length to ensure justice prevailed in the matter.
He urged the government to provide the necessary help to the Independent Investigative Committee, to speed up investigation into the incident stressing that, “The delay of the report is creating suspicion among members of the community.”
The Ghanaian Times investigations revealed that the five-member committee inaugurated on July 31, 2018 to independently investigate the shooting incident within one month, has been given a two-week extension to present its report.
It was set up by government following public uproar over the shooting incident that the police claimed was carried out against suspected robbers, but the Zongo community and family members maintained they were not robbers
The shooting incident on July 16, 2018 enraged the youth of the Zongo community who demonstrate amid burning of tyres and beating up three journalists of the EIB network, as well as attempted arson on the Asawasi Police Station.
FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, KUMASI
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