The youth had a violent protest Thursday to register their displeasure[/caption] An independent body is to be constituted to investigate the grisly murder of seven men by the police in the Ashanti region early this week. This would be a welcoming news to families of the victims who have been demanding such inquiry after expressing mistrust in the police to investigate their own. The murder of the seven youth comes days after a police officer was killed by some highway robbers in the region. The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kwasi Mensa Duku told the media that the seven were suspected armed robbers crammed in a salon car who refused to obey an order to stop and rather opened fire on the police on Tuesday at Poano. The police also returned fire on them killing all the seven occupants. But families of some of the identified suspects have vehemently denied claims by the police that their relatives are armed robbers. Some angry zongo youth mainly from Asawase were the deceased believed to come from have been staging confrontational demonstrations against the police. The incensed youth even had the gut to chase away the Inspector General of Police, Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Information Minister and Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development who were in the area to meet with the leadership of the Zongo communities after Friday Muslim prayers. Families and residents have also rejected any probe by the police into the incidents. But ACP David Eklu, Director General Police Public Affairs, hinted on TV3 NewDay on Saturday that the police would not probe this particular incident. He said government would soon give a “direction” on it but was certain an independent body would be constituted by the government to investigate the murder of the seven suspected armed robbers. Read: Police killed 7 innocent citizens: families dispute robbery claims Meanwhile, government has confirmed setting a neutral body to probe the case. “Since the police and families of the seven young men have different versions of the occurrence, government has decided to set up an independent committee to investigate the matter,” a statement signed by a deputy Information Minister, Perry Okudzeto said on Saturday. By Isaac Essel | 3news.com | Ghana]]>
