AWW Violence: Vehicle used by masked men not from Police – Police D-G Operations

The Director-General of Operations, Ghana Police Service, DCOP Alex Mensah has told the Emile Short Commission probing the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence that the vehicle used by the masked security men did not belong to the Police Service.

His statement is in sharp contrast with claims by the Minister for National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah who during his appearance before the Commission on Thursday said the vehicle belonged to the Police.

According to DCOP Alex Mensah, the Police Service did not release any vehicles for use by the men purported to be operatives of National Security who rained terror on innocent and helpless civilians at La-Bawaeshie during the by-election.

“I know all the fleet of vehicles under the National Operations Department and that vehicle is not part of it. My Lord, the National Operations Department has never used that kind of vehicle before. Ever since I took over I’ve never seen that vehicle before.”

DCOP Mensah’s statement confirms the assertion by the Minister of Interior, Ambrose Dery that the vehicle indeed does not belong to the police.

He added that the IGP was investigating the matter, saying “it has come to my notice on the video that they were in the vehicle that had a police logo, that was some of the reasons why I forwarded to the IGP and he denied that was not a police vehicle like those in use by the police and that all police vehicles had GP number.”