Committee to investigate demolition at Adehyeman Gardens
The Kumasi Metropolitan Security Council has set up a six-member committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the demolition exercise at Adehyeman Gardens, near Kejetia in Kumasi, at the weekend.
Advertisement
The committee, which has a week to present its report, is to also find out whether or not the High Court really gave an order for the demolition and also whether or not the order was legally executed and conformed to laid down procedure.
Mr Kojo Bonsu, the Kumasi Metropolitan (KMA) Chief Executive, who was briefing the media after the security meeting, said among the terms of reference for the committee, which he did not name for security reasons, it was to find out all the persons who played roles, directly or indirectly, in the demolition exercise.
The committee is also to identify the victims involved and to ascertain the extent of damage caused by the demolition exercise.
In the early hours of Sunday, some persons, with the protection of the police, demolished the wares and stalls of about 1,000 petty traders, mostly women, operating at the Adehyeman Gardens.
Responding to questions from the media, Mr Bonsu stated that the land in question belonged to the KMA and he was of the view that even if those claiming ownership really had authority, the best and most appropriate way was for them to inform the KMA before the exercise.
That, he explained, would have given the assembly ample time to prepare the minds of the women, relocate them and also save their wares, instead of destroying the wares of the women in the middle of the night, a situation which forced most of the affected women to converge on his residence.
He revealed that the two-storey building just behind the market did not have building permit from the assembly.
Click here to view more pictures
