CHRAJ Condemns Ashaiman Military Invasion; Describes Action As Degrading & Dehumanizing

CHRAJ Condemns Ashaiman Military Invasion; Describes Action As Degrading & Dehumanizing

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has condemned the Ghana Armed Forces for the unlawful invasion of Ashaiman by its personnel.

Some personnel of the Armed Forces on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, invaded Taifa, a suburb of Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region following the alleged killing of an officer in the vicinity.

The deceased, Trooper Sherrif Imoro, a 22-year-old private officer according to the military statement was stationed at Sunyani but traveled to Accra for a course. He met his untimely death when he sought permission to visit his parents at Ashaiman. The young soldier was allegedly stabbed multiple times by an unidentified gang.

Reacting to the action of the military, Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal noted that the actions of the military are condemnable. He explained that despite the circumstance, the military has no locus to take the laws into their own hands.

Speaking in an interview with Accra-based JoyNews, Mr. Whittal said that he cannot fathom why a disciplined institution such as the military will mete out what he describes as a degrading and dehumanizing treatment to civilians.

“Because of their personal interest they come (to Ashaiman), take over the law and do what they want. I completely condemn it. It is degrading and dehumanizing treatment to put such persons who are going to their work arrest them, make them do press-ups in mud, sitting down with all their clothing removed apart from some briefs is completely unacceptable, and this is exacted by the army of Ghana? It’s completely unacceptable,” the Commissioner of CHRAJ lamented.

Commenting on the justification by the Military High Command, Mr. Whittal noted that the reasons for the exercise as espoused by the military is a misplaced one insisting that the action is totally unacceptable.

“Any defense of it by any leadership of the military is a misplaced support. We need to call what is wrong wrong and this is completely wrong. The community of Ashaiman should hold themselves and allow lawful bodies like the Ghana police to Investigate and take the right steps” he stated.

He also stressed that CHRAJ “when called upon we’ll take the right steps because it is the ombudsman that has constitutional powers to investigate military issues in the event that the military goes beyond their normal duty and it affects the right of people.”

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