Court orders AG, IGP to release victim's report

A High Court in Accra has ordered the Attorney General (AG)/ Minister of Justice and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to within one month release the report of a former employee of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) who was killed through gunshot.

Lydia Osei Asantewa was shot and killed at Sefwi Wiawso in the Western region on December 11, 2009 after which the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council, Sekondi set up a three-member Committee of Inquiry to investigate the case and submit its report but two years down the lane the report is yet to be released.

As a result, Opanin Kwame Onwona Agyemang, head of family of the deceased sought a prerogative writ of Mandamus under Order 55 rl (a) r6 (2) to compel the AG and the IGP to release the report.

The plaintiff’s counsel, K. Asiama Sampong said in spite of three petitions by the family and several reminders forwarded to the Attorney General/ Minister of Justice and the IGP, the defendants had failed to release the report.

The court, presided over by Justice Godwin Gabor said “it is adjudged that the respondents: the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General/ Minister of Justice, do release within one month, effective 16th day of December 2011 to the applicant, the three-man committee report on the investigation of the killing by gunshot of Lydia Osei Asantewa, former employee of the Internal Revenue Service at Sefwi Wiawso in the Western region on 11th December 2009.”

The court also awarded GH¢1,000.00 against the two defendants.