The Wenchi High Court has ruled that the state must compensate six individuals with GH₵45,000 each, following injuries they sustained during a shooting at the Techiman South collation centre during the 2020 general elections.
The incident occurred amid tensions at the collation centre before Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah was declared the elected Member of Parliament.
In an attempt to control the unrest, security personnel fired shots that led to the deaths of two individuals and injured several others.
The victims filed a lawsuit, claiming that their constitutional right to life, as stipulated in Article 13 of the 1992 Constitution, was violated.
They argued that the actions of the security forces were excessive and unjustified.
In its defense, the Attorney General’s office acknowledged the use of firearms but claimed that security forces only fired warning shots to disperse a disruptive crowd and protect electoral officers.
The state further argued that some injuries could have resulted from gunfire originating from within the crowd, suggesting that the security forces were not solely responsible.
However, the court rejected the state’s arguments, finding sufficient evidence that the security personnel had shot directly into the crowd without justification.
The court emphasised that the indiscriminate use of force violated the plaintiffs’ rights to life.
While the plaintiffs initially sought more substantial compensation—GH₵5 million for the lead plaintiff and GH₵2 million for each of the other five—the court did not grant these amounts.
The judge stated that the evidence presented was insufficient to justify the higher compensation sought, ultimately awarding GH₵45,000 to each of the six plaintiffs.
Source: myjoyonline.com
