The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has set up a Special Investigation Task Force to look into the violence that characterised the Talensi By-Elections last Tuesday to ensure sanity in the constituency and its environs.
A statement issued and signed by the Director-General of Public Affairs Department, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Rev. David Nenyi Ampah-Bennin, said any persons or group of individuals that would be implicated in the final report, submitted by the task force, would be prosecuted.
It said the Police had identified groups like Azorka Boys, Bamba Boys, Invincible Forces and Bolga Bull Dogs, as the main political vigilante groups that were involved in the violence.
“The Police, therefore, want to assure Ghanaians that we are advanced in our investigations into the conduct of these individuals and all the isolated incidents of violence that occurred during the elections. On completion of the investigations, we shall forward all the dockets to the Attorney General’s Office for requisite action”, it said.
The statement said the Police had taken serious exception to activities of the political vigilante, and condemn them in no uncertain terms.
It said inasmuch as the Police recognised the constitutional rights of individuals to form and belong to associations, as provided in Article 21 (1) of the 1992 constitution, however, it reminded the public that it was unlawful for political parties, groups, organisations or individuals to encourage the formation of vigilante groups and other associations that assume the character of a security organisation, “unless that person, group or organisation has been granted a licence for that purpose under Police Service (Private Security Organisation) Regulation, 1992 (LI 1571).
The statement further said in compliance with constitutional provision of maintaining law and order and protecting lives and property, the Police Service had beefed up security in the Talensi Constituency and its environs as part of measures to ensure the peace.
It said during the election, the Police put sufficient security arrangements at the Polling Stations, Coalition Centres, all party offices, important state institutions and all vital installations to avert any occurrence.
“We mounted snap checks at strategic locations within the constituency and all highways leading to the constituency while our intelligence teams were also firmly on the ground”, it said.
It said the strategies and measures worked perfectly with isolated incidents of violence which it condemns in no uncertain terms.
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