The May 26 police beating death of Mr. Osei-Tawiah, in the Krofrom suburb of
Kumasi, the Asante Regional Capital, ought to be thoroughly investigated and
justice promptly meted the culprits involved (See “Kofrom: Police Happy with
Autopsy Report; Warn Against Further Protests” MyJoyOnline.com 5/31/16).
According to an autopsy report allegedly released by coroners/pathologists at
the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Mr. Osei-Tawiah died of “congestive
heart failure.”
The Asante Regional Commander of the Ghana Police Service, Mr. Kofi Boakye,
is reported to be claiming that the police are satisfied with the coroner’s
report; and so it is not clear whether, indeed, the highest-ranking police
officer in the Asante Region really understands the basic meaning of
“congestive heart failure,” unless, of course, the Deputy Commissioner of
Police is also cocksure that the massive heart attack suffered by the
22-year-old Mr. Osei-Tawiah had absolutely nothing to do with the latter’s
having been considerably manhandled and allegedly Tasered by the police.
In all likelihood, even if the victim was known to be afflicted with a
congenital cardiac condition, it still stands to reason to assume that prior to
his violent contact with the unnamed three police officers; Mr. Osei-Tawiah had
not been in dire need of emergency medical assistance and/or treatment. Plainly
put, it well appears that it was his violent contact with the three police
officers and him being severely beaten and Tasered by his assailants that
brought about the situation that resulted in his death.
At any rate, merely informing the public that the apparent torture victim
died of “congestive heart failure” tells us a little about the minute details
of the entire incident. For instance, the coroner’s report also needed to have
informed the public about the general bodily, or physical, condition under
which the mortal remains of Mr. Osei-Tawiah was conveyed to the KATH morgue, as
well as the conditions under which the autopsy was performed.
But what is even more significant are the circumstances under which the
victim came to be confronted and allegedly beaten severely, tortured and
Tasered by his certified law-enforcement assailants. So far, what we know is
that Mr. Osei-Tawiah was mistaken for one member among a group of suspects
being pursued by the police. We are not told, for example, precisely for what
reason, or reasons, the police officers were in hot pursuit of the alleged
suspects one of whom they mistakenly identified to be Mr. Osei-Tawiah.
In other words, we need a thorough investigation of the matter in order to conclusively
resolve the question of whether, indeed, Mr. Osei-Tawiah was accidentally
picked up and tortured to death. This is what an evidently cryptic autopsy
report, such as the one over which DCOP Boakye is reported to be jubilating,
fails to answer. So far, the Member of Parliament for Manhyia-North, which also
includes Krofrom, Mr. Collins Owusu-Amankwah, has registered his reservations
and utter dissatisfaction with the autopsy report. Mr. Owusu-Amankwah has
publicly stated that he intends to see to it that the matter does not end where
it is presently.
Still, it is rather curious for Mr. Owusu-Amankwah to add that he does not
intend to seriously challenge the clearly compromised contents of the autopsy
report. If, indeed, he is really intent on seeing to it that justice is done to
the late Mr. Osei-Tawiah, his family, relatives and friends, then Mr.
Owusu-Amankwah had better call for prompt and thorough investigation of the
matter. For it is quite clear that something has seriously gone wrong here.
At the least, I can readily see the three police officers alleged to be
directly involved in Mr. Osei-Tawiah’s beating death being charged with
manslaughter and being arraigned before a legitimately constituted court of law
on misdemeanor assault charges, assuming that, indeed, they had genuinely
mistaken Mr. Osei-Tawiah for one of the criminal suspects they were allegedly
in hot pursuit of.
Even in the event of these police officers’ being let off the hook, as it
were, the fact still remains that something serious went awry with the way and
manner in which the officers conducted themselves in this apparently quite
delicate and sensitive situation. In which case, it would be perfectly in order
for the government to consider compensating the family of the victim for so
flagrantly and egregiously suffering a violation of his human and civil rights.
Needless to say, the rather bizarre notion that, somehow, justifiably angry
Krofrom residents have absolutely no right to publicly express their conniption
in the quite legitimate form of massive public demonstrations is nothing short
of patent absurdity. I, however, perfectly agree with DCOP Boakye that any
street demonstrations be conducted with peaceful restraint.
By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.
Garden City, New York
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