Investigate police officers who buried man after death in custody – Human Rights lawyer to govt

The state has a duty to investigate the three police officers who secretly buried a man who died in custody, explains the Director of Programmes at the Institute for Human Rights Development Africa, Edmund Foley.

He explained that this is necessary as international norms place an obligation on governments to undertake investigations into cases such as extrajudicial killings, reports

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The Human Rights lawyer added that it was the right step to seeking justice for the Bono East Crime Officer, Supt Kennedy Adusei, to even admit that a wrong had been committed.

“It is sad that we are hearing this story. I don’t recall that we have heard such an infraction in our history that the police who are expected to have known better have come to this point,” he explained.

Edmund Foley added that this investigation should have the involvement of the Professional Standards Bureau and not be limited to only the independent body.

Also, he said that the results or finding so the investigations should be made public.

“We’ve had many investigations into police misconduct and we don’t know where they have ended so it is important within the context of this issue, that the State gives the citizen the result,” he said.

Referencing the infamous conviction of the ex-cop of the United States, Derek Chauvin, in the brutal killing of an African-American, George Floyd, he said that a cue can be taken from there to make the process as transparent in the eyes of the public as much as possible.

“We just can recall this week the end of the trial of Derek Chauvin in the United States and see the public nature of the trial and sending the message to all the world that such conduct will not be countenance and so we should not only just hear about the interdiction we should see the end result of this matter,” he explained.

Yesterday, Friday, April 23, 2021, the Bono Regional Police Command that three officers at the Seikwa police station brutalized a suspect in custody to the point of point and then buried him secretly.

They were named as Chief Inspector Eric Aforo, station officer at Seikwa Police; General Corporal Williams Akussumg and General Constable Ebenezer Akuffo. They have each been interdicted since.

“We have information that the man was brutalized by the police and buried secretly so upon the instructions of the Regional Police Command, those who are alleged to have taken part in this heinous crime have been sent to Sunyani,” Supt. Kennedy Adusei, the Bono Regional Crime Officer said.