In the wake of the controversial military invasion of Ashaiman following the alleged gang murder of a military officer, the Deputy Minister for Defence, Kofi Amankwa-Manu has apologized for the excesses of the men in uniform during the operation.

The Military High Command-sanctioned operation, according to a statement released by the Ghana Armed Forces, was to fish out the perpetrators who played a role in the alleged murder of Trooper Sherrif Imoro but not to avenge his death.

However, following the operation, images and videos that have flooded social media showed the men in uniform brutally abusing civilians. Numerous people who were caught up in the operation were either severely beaten or taken through exhausting military drills or both.

The scenes have received widespread condemnation from a section of Ghanaians calling on the Military High Command to reconsider their modus operandi in situations such as this.

Commenting on the operations and the accompanied excesses, the deputy defence minister admitted that there were some excesses as some of the officers were carried away in the course of the act. He, therefore, apologized to innocent civilians who were manhandled by the officers.

“I think that it is only proper that we admit when there are excesses and in operations of this nature you may get one or two people who may get carried away. I mean, if decent, innocent residents of Ashaiman were caught up in this operations, in my capacity as the Deputy Defence Minister will want to apologise for that,” Kofi Amankwa-Manu noted.

He however insisted that the operation was a very important one which needed to be carried out despite the excesses. He, therefore, noted that the military authorities and himself owe no one an apology for the operation.

“That of course we will apologise, but, my brother, we’re not going to apologise for the operations,” he said.