Short Commission: Police yet to retrieve 37 spent bullet shells
The Police are yet to retrieve 37 spent bullet shells, which were in the possession of a youth leader at the scene of the La-Bawaleshie violence during the January 31, Ayawaso West Wuogon Parliamentary by-election.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abena Benewaa Kwabena, the District Crime Officer of East Legon Police District told the Ayawaso West Wuogon Commission of Inquiry that she and Detective Chief Inspector Sulley Jallo came across a youth leader at the scene of the violence at La-Bawaleshie in possession of 37 spent bullet shells, which he declined to hand over to them.
She said, Detective Chief Inspector Jallo was able to speak to the youth leader in Hausa and convinced him to allow him to take pictures of the spent bullet shells.
She noted that Detective Chief Inspector Jallo questioned the youth leader what he was going to use the spent bullet shells for and he replied that they were going to use it to make their case against the men in brown trousers and black t-shirts.
She said Detective Chief Inspector Jallo was able to find out that the youth leader lived in Weija.
DSP Kwabena noted that prior to getting to the house of Mr Delali Kwesi Brempong, the National Democratic Congress Parliamentary Candidate in the by-election, she passed through the La-Bawaleshie Presbyterian Primary School, where she met two junior high school students between the ages of 11 to 14, who were having in their possession two spent bullet shells.
She said the children after handing over the two spent bullet shells to her, told her that they picked it within the school compound.
She said from the Presby School they then moved to the violence scene, where she helped to preserve some evidence such as blood clots on the ground and bullet marks on two trees and a metal container.
She said it was when they were at the scene of the violence that she learnt that some eight people had being brought to the East Legon Police Station by DSP Samuel Kojo Azugu, the Commander of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team of the National Security.
DSP Kwabena said, she therefore, asked Detective Chief Inspector Jallo to go back to the office to see what was happening.
She said when she got a report from Detective Chief Inspector Jallo that seven out of the eight people were wounded, she asked that they be issued with police medical forms for them to be taken to the Legon Hospital.
She noted that, she later visited the seven people at the Legon Hospital; adding that their statements were taken at the Legon Police Station.
She said the eighth person, who said he was not part of the people who were beaten however, had his statement taken at the East Legon Police.
She said, she was informed that one of the critically wounded was referred to the 37 Military Hospital.
Mr Eric Osei-Mensah, the Counsel of the Commission, aske DSP Kwabena why she did not take the spent bullet shells from the youth leader, for which she explained that the atmosphere at the scene was not conducive enough for her to take the spent bullet shells from the youth leader.
She said, after the violence, they were now trying to get in touch with the youth leader for the 37 spent bullet shells.
Regarding the two spent bullet shells, the Counsel again asked DSP Kwabena whether she had informed any of her superiors or handed them over to the police team looking into the matter, which she replied that she was waiting to take possession of the 37 spent bullet shells to add up to the two in her possession before handing them over to the investigative team.
Source: GNA