A member of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, Peter Lanchene Toobu, has emphasised the need for an independent body to investigate the shooting incident at Tema Kplejoo.
His comments follow a shooting incident at Tema New Town on Friday night, which is said to have led to the deaths of two people.
Three others are currently on admission at the Tema General Hospital receiving medical attention.
The incident happened on the final night of the Kplejoo celebration.
Touching on the issue, Mr Toobu stated that the military must take action to prevent future military brutality.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Tuesday, April 16, he said military barracks used to be located far from residential areas, but today they are closer to communities.
“The military itself is changing as society’s rules and regulations are changing. As they change, we have to understand that the national security blueprint puts it very clearly.
“Youth unemployment is the greatest security threat in this country, so anytime you see young people gathered and they are in stride, it does not matter which uniform you are wearing; you should apply your sixth brain, not brutish force. Crashing them is never an answer in any situation in a democracy like ours,” he said.
He added, “Until we have access to the autopsy report, we would not be able to say for a fact that a bullet hit someone’s chest. The autopsy report would give us clarity. That is why I am calling for a detailed investigation. The autopsy will give us clarity on the cause of the deaths of the two young people”.
The Wa West MP emphasised that if the military needs to shoot, they must do so with confidence and, if necessary, with warning shots that are non-fatal.
Peter Lanchene Toobu has stated that warning shots are not meant to cause harm, and if fatal force is necessary, the military should know that they are acting within the confines of the law.
“Using the weapon is the last resort. With all the graduated force, that you have access to, every step that you take with the weapon is the last resort.
“The moment you grab your weapon and you want to press the trigger, certain questions in your brain are to be answered.
“‘Is the force I am applying proportional to the resistance?’, ‘My life is at risk, and if I do not use this weapon, I may even die, and if you do not carry a weapon, somebody else will shoot you and kill you.”
Police say it is still investigating the issue.
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