Court Orders GH¢45,000 Compensation To Each Victim Of Techiman South Shooting During 2020 Election

• The high court in Wenchi has directed the state to pay GH¢45,000 to victims of Techiman South election violence
• The court concluded that security officers shot directly into an unarmed crowd at the centre
• Six casualties of the violence filed a case at the high court alleging infringement on their right to life

The high court in Wenchi has directed the state to pay GH¢45,000 each as damages to six persons wounded by police gunfire during a shooting incident at the Techiman South collation centre in 2020.

The court said there was enough evidence to show that the security officers shot directly into an unarmed crowd during some tensions at the centre.

Citi News reported that the court concluded that there was no constitutional reason for police to have fired on the crowd during the tense constituency poll.

Read also

Ex-Volkswagen CEO faces trial over 'dieselgate'

The court also said the shooting was not targeted at persons allegedly instigating tensions.

The court, however, refused to grant the first applicant GH¢5 million cedis in total damages and GH¢2 million each for the other five applicants.

The judge said there was not enough evidence for the court to determine if they merited such compensation.

How did the Techiman South violence occur?

During the vote counting in Techiman South, disturbances erupted at the collation centre ahead of Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah's declaration as a member of Parliament-elect.

Police, in an attempt to control the situation, fired shots that killed two persons and resulted in six other casualties.

The six casualties filed the case at the high court alleging infringement on their right to life.

Read also

UN hosts Libya rivals for central bank crisis talks

The government had argued that the fatal use of force by the police was justified.

MP claims he's compensating victims

YEN.com.gh reported that Korsah said he was building houses for the families of the two persons who died during the 2020 electoral violence in Techiman South.

Korsah, the MP for the constituency, disclosed this when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament in 2021. NDC MPs on the Appointments Committee boycotted the vetting.

The NDC notably held a funeral service for all those who lost their lives during and after the December 2020 election.

Proofread by Edwina N.K Quarcoo, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh