The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has indicated that the legislature is interested in the police investigation into circumstances that led to the alleged firing of tear gas by police at the Islamic Senior High School in Kumasi on Monday.
He has thus directed the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament to engage with the police and report back to the House on Tuesday June 21, 2022.
At least 38 students of the Abrepo based school had to be rushed to the hospital after police allegedly opened tear gas on them while they were demonstrating over what they said was frequent road accidents in front of the school.
“I think that our security authorities should not in such cases be releasing live bullets,” the Speaker stated but if the police is investigating the matter, what we can do as a House is to immediately show concern and let them know we are awaiting their report into the incident.
“We will also have to visit the scene to sympathise with the injured students, management of the school, see their condition and come and report to the House as we await the outcome of the investigation of the police and I hereby direct the Committee on Defence and Interior to take this matter up and report to us early next week.
“What I am saying is the Committee should visit the police, starting from the IGP, the Ashanti regional police command and the school in question, the hospital, the injured students and report back to the House by Tuesday,” Mr Bagbin directed.
The Speaker’s directive followed an application made to him by the Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka for Parliament to probe the circumstances surrounding the matter.
Citing the Ejura, Nkoranza, Ayawaso West Wuogon incidences, Alhaji Muntaka, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asawase Constituency in the Ashanti Region, noted that instances of police brutality were getting out of hand and though he admitted the police had taken steps to punish persons involved by interdicting some of its officers in the region, same was not enough.
The application was, however, thwarted by the Majority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri Constituency in the Eastern Region, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, who told the House the police were investigating the issue and should be allowed to continue.
“Mr Speaker, because the IGP has issued some orders for investigation to be conducted into the incident, I do not think Parliament should also be conducting another concurrent investigation,” he submitted which the Speaker upheld.