General News of Saturday, 11 August 2007

Source: GNA

Committee to investigate death of a bus driver

Accra, Aug 11, GNA - The Ministry of the Interior has set up an Independent Fact-Finding Committee to investigate and report on the circumstances that led to the death of one George Kojo Atuah alias "Maclean", a mini but driver from Suhum in the Eastern Region, allegedly at the hands of a Police/Military Team.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Kwabena Bartels, Minister of the Interior in Accra on Saturday.

The Committee is made up of a representative of the Attorney-General's Department (Chairperson), representatives of the BNI, the CID, the Ministry of the Interior and the Ghana Armed Forces. Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector-General of Police have been asked to interdict/suspend all the officers allegedly involved in the alleged assault, which resulted in the death of the bus driver during the period of the investigations.

The Ministry has also directed that the body of the deceased should not be buried until a proper post-mortem has been conducted. The Committee has been given a maximum of one week to present its report and recommendations to the Minister for necessary action. "The Ministry of Interior, on behalf of the Government, expresses its sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased, and will like to assure the family as well as the people of Suhum and the country, that every effort will be made to ensure that all the facts involved in the untimely death of George Kojo Atuah alias Maclean will be unveiled and those responsible dealt with in accordance with the law."