Miotso chiefs petition IGP to enforce court ruling
The Chiefs and Elders of Miotso in the Ningo Prampram District have appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr John Kudalor, to ensure the enforcement of a court order involving the Miotso and Dawhenya communities over a large tract of land.
Advertisement
The chiefs alleged that the Tema Regional Police Command had failed to ensure that law and order prevailed following the court order.
Lawyer for the Numo Awuley Kwao Family of Miotso, Ms Mary Ohenewaa Afful, told journalists at a news conference at the Miotso chief’s palace that despite several court rulings in favour of her clients, as original and legal owners of the land in question, some estate developers and individuals from Dawhenya, in connivance with the police, were allegedly depriving them of access to their lands.
Petition
In a strongly worded petition to the IGP, the Numo Awuley Kwao Family of Miosto accused the Tema Regional Police Command of being influenced by material and monetary gifts to turn a blind eye to the activities of land guards who were terrorising the real owners of the land.
It further alleged that the police at Prampram had failed to arrest persons who had engaged in shooting for prosecution.
The petition named a police officer whom, it alleged, had received a car gift from some land guards and called for the issue to be investigated.
Rebuttal
In a sharp rebuttal, the Tema Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Paul Manly Awini, denied all the allegations made against him and personnel of the command.
He said the shooting case was being investigated and that a suspect had been arrested.
DCOP Awini explained that land cases in general were civil in nature, for which the contesting parties normally had to seek redress in court.
“But of course, there are certainly criminal dimensions in these land issues that normally police officers take on board, investigate and when we find some parties culpable, put them before court”, he said.
