Incident unfortunate, unnecessary - Boahen

Page 3: June 4, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior, Nana Obiri Boahen, has described the Ashaiman incident as unfortunate and unnecessary.
He said there was no justification whatsoever for the action of the mob that attacked the police station and the rented barracks of the police at Zongo Laka, a suburb of Ashaiman, where the wives and children of the police were subjected to severe beatings.
Nana Boahen said this after the Tema Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr John Kudalor, had briefed the minister who visited the Ashaiman municipality to receive information on the incident.
The minister noted that but for the false alarm raised by a section of the media, particularly some radio stations, that a driver had been beaten to death in police cells, the mob would not have reacted so violently.
He said what was even unfortunate was the broadcast of false news that six persons had lost their lives and urged media practitioners to endeavour to cross-check their facts before going public with them.
Nana Boahen said what was also regrettable about the incident was the fact that the deceased might not have been part of the mob that attacked the police station.
He appealed to all Ghanaians not to take the law into their hands and rather allow due process to take its course.