The Chief and Elders of Lamashegu have demanded that their representative be added to the team of investigators probing the shooting incident which occurred at the Chief’s Palace.
Although they are not against the police arresting citizens that go wrong, they said they want to be part of the investigations so that they can be updated with details over time.
Six police Officers were interdicted over the weekend following a shooting incident at Lamashegu in Tamale.
One person died while others sustained various degrees of injuries in the violence.
According to eyewitnesses, the chaos started after a police patrol team allegedly shot a young man driving a white Toyota Camry with a DV number plate after he had refused to stop when the police stopped him.
He is said to have driven to the Chief for cover but was pursued there by the Police.
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Speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie with Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu, the Mayor of Tamale, Mr Sule Salifu said the Chiefs and Elders spoke to the Regional Minister about having their representative amongst the investigators and so he was of the belief that the authorities were working on it.
He said the Police could have engaged the Chief and or the Political leaders to send the suspect to the Police station instead of shooting the suspect at the Palace, saying the shooting was unacceptable.
“The youth or the chiefs are not saying people should not be arrested when they commit crimes, but to the extend that you chase somebody into a Chief’s palace, the Chief is sitting in state and you still shoot at such a person, arrest such a person, beat him. That is what is infuriating the people,” he said.
Mr Sule Salifu continued that, “Now, what we are saying is that, at every location where a Chief’s Palace is situated, there is an Assemblyman in that area, there are opinion leaders in those areas, there are political leadership in those areas, the Chief himself could have even asked the Elders to bring the suspect to the police but for you to move into the palace, shoot somebody in the presence of the Chief? No reasonable society will accept this.”
Meanwhile, he encouraged the Police to use dialogue, adding, “So that anytime you are chasing somebody and he runs into a palace, you can use dialogue, dialogue with the Chief, the Assemblymen, the Opinion leaders to get the person to the police station so that investigations can continue, rather than this type of militant behaviour at our Chief’s Palace. That is what our Chiefs are not happy with.”
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
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