POLICE INTERROGATE TWO BAWKU SUSPECTS (SPREAD, NOV 13)

TWO suspects arrested in connection with the shooting incident at Patelme, a suburb of Bawku, on Wednesday are being interrogated by the police in Bawku.
According to the Upper East Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bright Oduro, the suspects, after the interrogation, would be transferred to Bolgatanga, where they would be put before court.
ACP Oduro told the Daily Graphic in Bolgatanga, that the investigation would include the reconstruction of the scene and a further search of the vicinity where they were arrested for the weapons they used in firing.
“Our preoccupation now is to find the weapons in question. We also need to know the source of ammunition,” he said.
The suspects, Rashid Bukari and Justine Hado, were picked up by a joint military and police patrol team after one of them, Rashid, was alleged to have fired some shots in town, creating some confusion.
Thirty-four rounds of unfired AK 47 ammunition were reportedly retrieved from a jacket said to have been worn by Rashid.
According to the regional police commander, Rashid had allegedly thrown away the jacket that had the ammunition concealed in it after he had targeted someone, fired but missed the target.
He said the joint military and police patrol team which rushed to the scene of the shooting spotted Rashid fleeing but he was pursued by the security men and subsequently arrested.
Mr Oduro said Rashid, who, at that time was bare-chested, and Hado were led to a waiting car and transported to the police station.
He commended the security personnel on the ground for doing remarkably well.
The regional police commander refuted allegations that the human rights of the suspects had been violated by parading them naked.
“I do not think that is true. Nobody will just take away the dress of a suspect like that. Of course, these people put up resistance and, in the process, they were partially exposed,” he said.
He stressed that the security agencies did not act in any way that could be described as an abuse of human rights.
“In the past, a number of arrests were made. Some of those arrested have got back their freedom, others are in custody and in all these cases the suspects have been treated so decently. We have had situations where some of the combatants did not show respect to our human rights. If they do, they will not be firing indiscriminately and creating this state of confusion in Bawku.
“For us, we have been decent. We know how to treat them and have been doing our best. We want the combatants to reciprocate the gesture and treat security personnel and the people of Bawku the same way they want to be treated. We want them to respect human rights, respect the law and not create so much panic, tension and confusion in the area,” he said.