GRi Sports Ghana
01 - 06 - 2001
Stadium Disaster Commission-Cpl Mahama takes his turn at the
Commission
Stadium Disaster Commission-Constable demands rifle at probe
Stadiums Disaster probe-Commission moves to stadium at night
Stadium Disaster Commission-Cpl Mahama takes his turn at the Commission
Accra
(Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
Corporal
Thomas Mahama of the Accra Police Striking Force Unit, one of the 10 armed
policemen on duty at the Stadium during the May 9 Accra Sports Stadium Disaster
appeared before the Commission at its sitting on Thursday to give his evidence.
Corporal
Mahama, who looked well composed, however, said he did not use his weapon at
all and returned it safely to the armoury.
He said he
and his colleagues, who were armed were instructed to stand aside from those
unarmed by Chief Inspector Ampomah and WO Dwamena, who later instructed them to
patrol the inner parameter and around the gates.
Corporal
Mahama further said, they were also told to come into the arena when the match
started to instil order and he did exactly as he was told.
He said,
when he entered the arena, he was positioned at the scoreboard area and was
later instructed by ASP John Naami go to the commentary box where he stayed
till the end of the match and while he was there, he saw ASP Naami, ASP
Benjamin Bakomora and Chief Superintendent Nana Koranteng Minta.
He told the
Commission that, he saw ASP Naami and ASP Bakomora standing with the Policemen
who fired.
Corporal
Mahama had earlier on told the Commission that, before they went on duty at the
stadium, their station Officer, Chief Inspector Abubakar told them how they
should be equipped.
He said
Inspector Abubakar selected those, who were to be armed and he went in for a
stopper and rubber bullets, which he did not fire.
Constable
Richmond Ofori was next to appear to give evidence.
Constable
Ofori, who is also with the Police Striking Force, was among the 10 men with
arms and also acted on instructions from Inspector Ampomah and WO Dwamena as
was given to them.
He said
when the fans started throwing missiles Chief Superintendent Minta gave out the
order for them to shoot.
Constable
Ofori said he did not open fire because his weapon had then corked which
disallowed him to shoot.
A
laboratory test carried on his gun also proved that his weapon had not been
used.
He said his
superior Detective Sergeant Kyei gave him a pump action and 10 cartridges out
of which three got lost and he returned the remaining seven to the
armoury.
GRi…/
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Stadium Disaster Commission-Constable demands rifle at probe
Accra
(Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
Constable
George Gyamfi of the Striking Force Unit of the Ghana Police Service on
Thursday demanded a pump action rifle at the Presidential Commission probing
the Accra Sports Stadium disaster to enable him to determine the time he used
in firing seven rounds of ammunition, while on duty on May 9.
The
Policeman, who was part of the stadium details on the day of the disaster, said
he could only give the time lapse between firing a round and reloading for
another shot, if he had a rifle to demonstrate.
He said
though he fired seven rounds of thunder shots from his pump action gun, it was
impossible for him to tell the time he used in dispensing them, adding that he
returned three of the unspent ammunition to the armourer in line with Police
regulations.
Constable
Gyamfi said he was ordered by Chief Superintendent (CSP) Nana Koranteng Mintah,
Commander of the Armoured Cars Squadron, to open fire and he
obliged by
firing into the sky, but was directed by the CSP to target those breaking and
throwing plastic chairs.
He said
after shooting seven times, he stopped on his own volition and not on the
orders of any superior officer, even though, his Deputy Commander, Assistant
Superintendent (ASP) John Naami and ASP Frank Awuh and ASP B. B. Bakomora had
come to the scene of the shooting.
The
evidence of Constable Gyamfi, that, CSP Mintah gave the orders to shoot was
corroborated by another constable, Godwin Wudah, also of the Striking Force.
Constable
Wudah could not, however, reconcile the number and type of ammunition he was
given with the records of the armourer, Corporal James Botolo Litey.
While
Corporal Litey said he issued Constable Wudah with a stopper, three rounds of
teargas canisters and two rounds of rubber bullets and tendered his records in
evidence, Constable Wudah said he received five rounds of rubber bullets and a
stopper.
There was
also disagreement between the two Policemen over the number of ammunition the
Constable returned to the armoury as Corporal Litey claimed that he spent all
the five rounds while Constable Wudah insisted he returned three.
Earlier the
Vice President of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana, Mr Ebo Quansah had
told the Commission that he appealed to some Policemen to stop shooting but
they refused and asked him what he knew about riot control.
He said he
was moved by pity to do that after the Police had fired about 15 shots into the
defenceless crowd and saw no attempt by any officer to stop the shooting.
After his
evidence Mr Quansah presented a memorandum entitled " Securing our game
against disasters" to the Commission on behalf of SWAG.
GRi…/
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Stadiums Disaster probe-Commission moves to stadium at night
Accra
(Greater Accra) 01 June 2001
The
Okudzeto Commission probing the May 9 Accra Sports stadium disaster on Thursday
night shifted from the Teachers' Hall to the scene of the disaster to have a
feel of the likely situation on the ill fated day.
When the
Commissioners arrived at about 19:30 hours the floodlights were on to give them
an insight into the level of illumination before the disaster.
Armed with
a measuring tape, the Commission registered various lengths between the
positions of some Policemen, who took part in the shooting and the places where
their commanders were.
Chief
Superintendent Nana Koranteng Mintah, who has so far been mentioned by five
policemen as the officer, who gave the order to shoot was asked to issue a
command from a position in front of the Press Box while the commissioners and
some Policemen stood at the entrance of the dressing room.
Mr Joe
Aggrey, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports later joined the Commissioners, who
were accompanied by Brigadier George Brock, Acting Chief Executive of the
National Sports Council.
While the
Commissioners climbed the stairs to the North Stands, where most of the victims
died, Professor Agyemang Badu Akosa remarked that the stairs were rather steep.
Though the
floodlights were on, the stairwells could not be said to be very well
illuminated, as there was only a fluorescent tube at the basement of each one.
After a
careful scrutiny of the stadium under the full rays of the floodlights, they
were turned off, leaving only the panic lights on as the Commissioners assessed
the situation in order to arrive at credible conclusions on how 126 youthful
Ghanaians might have perished on May 9.
GRi…/
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