Police Spot 2 More 'Explosive' Joints

> Police Spot 2 More 'Explosive' Joints

The police have identified two additional warehouses belonging to the woman at the centre of the fire outbreak at Anyaa in Accra.

The two warehouses at Awoshie and Anyaa have both been secured by the police, while efforts are being made to evacuate the fire crackers and other items in them to enhance community safety.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Samuel Kwesi Ofori, who is the Director of Police Public Affairs, told the Daily Graphic that the warehouse at Anyaa was different from the one that was razed by fire last week.

He said the woman, Janet Sarba Akani, 40, who is of Ghanaian and Nigerian parentage, was to be put before court today on a charge of importing prohibited items.

The manufacture, possession or carrying of fire crackers, often known as knockout, displaying shells, artillery shells and ball and canister shells are prohibited under Executive Instrument (EI) 21, which was made on September 9, 1999.

DSP Ofori said other charges in relation to murder or manslaughter and causing bodily harm would be the prerogative of the Attorney-General's Department after investigations into the matter had been completed.

He said the National Security Co-ordinator, Dr Sam Amoo, had set up an inter-agency committee to investigate the cause of the fire outbreak and also make appropriate recommendations to avert a recurrence.

He said initial investigations had revealed that the items had been imported from China.

He appealed to any person, companies or group of persons in possession of such prohibited items to submit them to the nearest police station.

DSP Ofori entreated community leaders and Ghanaians in general to take interest in issues of public safety and security around them.

He said in that way, they would be in a position to report any suspicious activities around them to the police for immediate action.

Meanwhile, a statement signed by DSP Ofori and issued in Accra last Friday said preliminary findings by the committee indicated that the explosion might have been caused by quantities of Christmas fire crackers filled with gunpowder.

“It is suspected that the items were exposed to a naked light which might have caused the explosion, judging from the fact that there was power outage in the area at the time,” it said.

It said the findings also revealed that the explosions which occurred were so powerful, not because there was any ammunition in the warehouse but because of the large concentration of the fire crackers”.

The statement said no single bullet or empty shell had been found in the debris so far to suggest the presence of any ammunition.

It said checks by the committee had revealed that the owner of the warehouse dealt in fire crackers and toys.

It, therefore, dismissed allegations by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), which held a press conference on Thursday to demand answers to the fire explosion, that ammunition had been stocked in the warehouse.

Story: Albert K. Salia

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