Honour police invitations voluntarily - Commander

Cape Coast, April 6, GNA - The Assistant Commission of Police (ACP) in charge of the Central Region, Mr. Albert Kwasi Onwona-Agyeman has advised the public to honour Police invitation voluntarily since doing so did not infer guilt.

He explained that such invitations should be honoured voluntarily to avoid the use of force.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Cape Coast, ACP Onwona-Agyeman said where the suspect was in doubt, one could get a lawyer or an opinion leader to accompany him.

"We are not delighted in putting suspects in handuffs, we only use them when the suspect refused to honour invitations," he said. The Regional Police Commander was commenting on an allegation of Police brutality on the Chief of Ekumpoano, Nana Korsah VII. According to Nana Korsah at dawn on March 18, this year, about 30 Policemen from Cape Coast and Saltpond, attacked him in his palace without any cause.

The Chief said he was beaten until he fell unconscious and was rescued by the people.

The Chief showed GNA a handcuff, spent tear-gas canister, nine rubber bullets and two live bullets left behind when the people became fed-up with their action and decided to clash them. He said that in February 2, 2005 three Policemen went to the palace at dawn and forced open his door while he was naked and told him that the Commander wanted to see him.

The Chief said he complained about the behaviour of the Policemen to the acting Commander of Police at Cape Coast, who apologised but could not tell him why he was attacked.

The Regional Commander said the Police received a report from Half-Assini that the Chief, also known as Samuel K. Woode jumped bail, while his docket was being processed for prosecution in a stealing case. According to ACP Onwoma-Agyeman, a 70-year-oldman who stood surety for the suspect was arrested to produce the Chief, but when he failed to do so, he was made to pay the bail sum.