Soldiers involved in the infamous Wa rampage have been charged, tried and various punishments meted out for the scandalous incident.
Minister for Defense, Dominic Nitiwul, disclosed this on the floor of Parliament Thursday when he updated the House on current development in the Upper West Regional capital.
According to him, with the exception of the Duty Officer, all personnel who were on duty on the day of the incident have been punished.
He indicated that eight soldiers who were visibly identified in various videos brutalizing residents have been charged, tried, and awarded 30 days each in detention by a Disciplinary Board.
He stated that the Duty Officer, a Lieutenant, who reportedly gave the soldiers permission to invade the town, is set to stand trial, which will commence on or before Wednesday 14 July 2021.
“The Orderly Sergeant who was a Staff Sergeant has been reduced to Corporal while the Guard Commander who was a Corporal has been reduced to Private. The Sentry on duty on the day, a Lance Corporal has also been reduced to Private.”
“The remaining soldiers involved in the incident will be transferred out of the region,” he said.
He indicated that at the time of the incident both the Regional Minister and the Commanding Officer were in Tamale and Accra respectively on official duties and have therefore been absorbed of any involvement.
Narrating the genesis of the incident to the House, Mr. Nitiwul stated that on 30th June 2021, one of the soldiers alleged his phone was snatched from him at about 6:00pm at Tindama Junction, a suburb of Wa.
The soldier, he said, subsequently informed his colleague the day after who in turn informed the Duty Officer who reportedly permitted the troops to rummage the town in search of the missing phone, which eventually led to the brutalities.
He indicated that in the course of the incident, 11 persons suffered various degrees of injuries, four persons were admitted at the Municipal Hospital but three were treated and discharged.
“The fourth person, Mr. Gafaru Mohammed was later transferred to the Upper West Regional Hospital where he was successfully operated upon. Currently, the victim is responding to treatment.”
“Additionally, victims interrogated have reported the loss of thirteen 13 mobile phones, a tricycle motor, and an amount of GH¢1,460.00. “
“However, the mobile phones and the tricycle motor have been retrieved and returned to the owners. No money has yet been retrieved,” he stated.
The Defence Minister noted that notwithstanding the Wa and other incidents, members of the Ghana Military remain very disciplined, well trained and respected across the world for their professionalism.
He said, “The swift action taken by the Military High Command among other reasons is to re-enforce the sense of discipline among the troops and to also safeguard their worldwide reputation of being a professional Armed Force that members of the Ghanaian Armed Forces are known for.”
“It is in this regard that government will continue to re-equip the Armed Forces to enable them to carry out their duty of protecting us and our territory,” he assured.
He assured the House that has personally paid the medical bills of the people affected that were submitted to the Regional Minister by the Medical Director of the Upper West Regional Hospital and the Medical Superintendent of the Wa Municipal Hospital.
He promised that other bills that will be brought to the Military Command’s attention through the Regional Minister will also be paid.
In his reaction to the Minister’s statement, Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu noted that searching for missing phones is not part of the responsibilities of the military and urged the Minister to take appropriate steps across the country to de-militarize the civilian state.
According to him, there are too many people with too many arms across the country, and warned that is not the way to go.
He urged the Defense Minister to keep a keen eye on the situation so it does not get out of hand.
Majority Whip, Frank Annor Dompreh, in his contribution urged members to be responsible and circumspect in their comments and not to get excessive in putting blame on the army whenever such things happen.
He called out to the Interior Minister to ensure strict control over the number of arms in the system to ensure the safety of the entire country.
Source: MyPublisher24.com