The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is calling for the immediate dismissal and prosecution of the Minister of Special Development Initiatives, Madam Mavis Hawa Koomson.
Hawa Koomson who is also the Member of Parliament for the Awutu Senya East constituency, on Monday, July 20, 2020, admitted firing a warning shot at a voter registration centre in her constituency during a confrontation.
At a press briefing at the NDC’s headquarters in Accra, the Director of Elections of the party, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah said Hawa Koomsom and her accomplices should be made to face the law with immediate effect.
“The NDC is totally disgusted by the thuggish and criminal shooting incident involving a gang of NPP thugs who were led by Madam Mavis Hawa Koomson which has received both national and international condemnation and which has been admitted by the Minister of State herself. We condemn in no uncertain terms such thuggery sponsored and led by a high ranking government official and lawmaker who is supposed to uphold the law at all times.”
“Hawa Koomson has by this singular criminal act and the many others committed before and together with her gang and all that they’ve meted out to NDC supporters and innocent Ghanaians in the last couple of weeks demonstrate that she is a gangster who does not deserve to occupy any public position of trust and we join the many voices of conscience in our society to demand her immediate dismissal from office and prosecution for these heinous crimes.”
The NDC has also served notice that it will prosecute Hawa Koomson should John Mahama emerge victorious in the December 2020 general elections if President Akufo-Addo fails to act.
“In any civilized society, this gangster would have been arrested and made to stand prosecution by now and this is exactly what her appointor, President Akufo-Addo should have done by now if he had any integrity, honour, and conscience left. But because he is the chief promoter and enabler of the unprecedented culture of lawlessness we are witnessing in this country, we will not be surprised if Hawa Koomson is left off the hook like the several NPP criminals such as the Double and Azugu masked national security operatives who perpetrated the Ayawaso West Wuogon violence, [and] the NPP Delta Force who attacked the court of competent jurisdiction in broad day and others.”
“All these people have been shielded from prosecution by no other person than President Akufo-Addo. We will, therefore, like to serve notice that if Hawa Koomson is left off the hook by President Akufo-Addo as we anticipate, the next NDC Mahama government in the year 2021 shall arrest and prosecute her and all the thugs who were involved in this unlawful shooting incident and all the other related criminal acts.”
Peace Council Chair calls on Hawa Koomson to resign after shooting incident
On the same issue, the National Peace Council Chairman, Rev. Emmanuel Asante, has also called on Madam Mavis Hawa Koomson to resign over the matter. According to him, if she does not do that, President Akufo-Addo should sack her.
“If she doesn’t do that, the President must terminate her appointment,” Rev. Asante added when he spoke on Eyewitness News.
The Peace Council Chairman also urged Parliament to take an interest in how the matter unravelled.
“The privileges committee must take this seriously because she had brought the name of Parliament into disrepute,” he remarked.
Hawa Koomson must face the law like any other Ghanaian
Also a security analyst, Colonel Festus Aboagye (Rtd), has joined the calls for the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Awutu Senya East Constituency, Mavis Hawa Koomson to be brought to book.
“If she has fired a weapon that she has said she is entitled to because she is an MP, although that can be debated, then the police must take her through a due process. They must have access to that weapon and compare the ballistics of that weapon to the weapon that the police retrieved from the four other persons.”
Background
After the confrontation which led to gunshots being fired and motorbikes being burned, Mavis Hawa Koomson explained that she fired a warning shot in self-defence.
Four persons were arrested in connection with the incident on Monday morning.
The Central Regional Police Command also said it has started processes to invite Mavis Hawa Koomson for questioning.
The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has, however filed a criminal complaint against the Awutu Senya East MP.
ASEPA made the complaint in a petition to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service demanding the arrest of the MP.
“We also demand a compensation or restitution package for all the owners of the motorbikes that were burnt down by the hoodlums and any other property that was destroyed in the process,” the group also said.
