Short C’ssion Submits Report To Prez

The Justice Emile Short Commission of Inquiry that probed the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence has presented its report to President Nana Akufo-Addo.

The report among other things outlines the findings and recommendations of the committee.

Presenting the document to the President yesterday, Chairman of the Commission Justice Emile Short did not give details of the report but was optimistic that the recommendations will be implemented.

The Commission set up on February 6, 2019, started its public sittings on February 14, 2019.

It ended the public hearings on March 8, 2019.

The Commission interviewed about 20 witnesses for a period of 12 days

President Akufo -Addo says government will study the document and implement to the latter the recommendations of the Emile Short Commission.

Balanced Report

Earlier, the Commission promised to present a balanced report on events that occurred during the violence.

Executive Secretary of the Commission, Kofi Abotsi told the media that the Commission will handle all testimonies and evidence adduced on fairgrounds.

He was optimistic that the findings of the Commission will serve its intended purpose.

“The testimonies that we have will carefully be reviewed and the report that will be presented to the President will reflect in a balanced way to the evidence gathered. So nothing is going to be compromised. I can assure anyone who is a skeptic that this commission is going to deliver a report that reflects the facts and evidence presented before it. We do hope that, in the end, we will deliver a report and provide [meaningful] recommendations,” he said.

The commission took testimonies of several principal witnesses in the matter including the Inspector General of Police David Asante-Apeau, Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam George; Commander of the National Security SWAT team DSP Samuel Azugu; and NDC Parliamentary candidate Delali Kwasi Brempong.

The government set up the Commission to investigate the shooting incident by some national security operatives that led to the injury of several NDC supporters at the party’s parliamentary candidate’s private residence at La-Bawaleshie on 31 January 2019 during the by-election.

Minority MP, Sam George was assaulted by multiple National Security personnel during the incident.

The violence that characterized the by-election has been widely condemned by civil society organisations including CODEO, UNDP among others.

President Akufo-Addo has said that individuals found culpable would be dealt with.

Members

The Commission was chaired by a former Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Justice Emile Short.

Legal expert Prof Henrietta Mensah Bonsu and Mr Patrick K. Acheampong, a former IGP, are members of the Commission.

The Commission was given a month to submit its report to the President.