Political Vigilantism: Publish Emile Short Commission report – Minority

The Minority in Parliament has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to make public the report of the Emile Short Commission on the Ayawaso West Wougon by-election violence.

The Commission submitted the report to Nana Akufo-Addo on Thursday, 14 March 2019 at the Jubilee House after it concluded an inquiry into gun riots that occurred on 31 January 2019 at the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election held after the death of the Member of Parliament for that constituency, Mr Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko.

Ahead of the debate on the Vigilantism and Related Offences Bill which was initiated upon the request of Mr Akufo-Addo to tackle party militia operations, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Mr James Agalga called for the report to be published.

Even though he stated the readiness of the Minority to participate in the debate, Mr Agalga was quick to add that the Minority’s next line of action will be determined by the failure of the president to make the report public.

“If he fails to publish the contents of the report, the decision to take part in the deliberations of the bill or not is going to be taken at the level of leadership and, so, for now we will not want to disclose what strategies are up our sleeves,” Mr Agalga told journalists in Parliament on Wednesday, 29 May 2019.

He said: “When the time comes, we shall advise ourselves appropriately”.

Among other things, the confidential report recommended the disbandment of the National Security SWAT team that stormed the election grounds and fired shots into the crowd.

The committee also recommended the prosecution of a national security operative, Mr. Ernest Akomea, also known as ‘Double’, who was found to have used a weapon without authorisation during the SWAT team’s operation at the residence of the National Democratic Congress’ parliamentary candidate, Mr Delali Brempong.

The report also advised the authorities to remove the commander of the SWAT team at the National Security Council Secretariat, DSP Samuel Kojo Azugu “from command responsibility.”

The report said DSP Azugu failed to “appropriately command and control the SWAT team of which he had charge during the operation at the La-Bawaleshie school polling station. It is recommended that he should be reassigned by the IGP.”