The Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has called for the dismissal of a military officer over alleged misconduct during an operation involving the seizure of trucks in the Ningo-Prampram Constituency.
The minister named the officer as Lieutenant Albert Goh, accusing him and other military personnel of entering the constituency heavily armed, confiscating trucks belonging to residents without lawful authorisation and subjecting some locals to mistreatment.
Addressing the incident, Sam George described the officer’s alleged actions as a disgrace to the Ghana Armed Forces and called on the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him.
“And I’m saying that Lieutenant Albert Goh, you are a disgrace to the uniform that you wear. And I expect the Chief of Defence Staff, the CDS, to dismiss you from the Armed Forces for bringing disgrace to the Army. What you did yesterday was akin to armed robbery,” he said.
He further accused the lieutenant of using weapons obtained from the Ghana Armed Forces armoury to carry out the operation and taking residents’ trucks without any lawful order.
“Picking weapons from the Ghana Armed Forces armory, coming here, seizing the trucks of citizens without any lawful order, driving that truck for two weeks, somebody’s property. You are a thief,” the minister said.
Sam George also alleged that the military personnel had disrespected a police commander, a Chief Superintendent, who attempted to engage the officer over the operation.
According to him, some of the soldiers allegedly cocked their weapons at the police commander, raising further concerns about their conduct during the incident.
He said he would engage the Minister of Defence to ensure that the military authorities investigated the matter and took appropriate disciplinary action against the personnel involved.
The minister also issued a warning against any further acts of intimidation or mistreatment of residents by military personnel in the constituency.
“Any soldier who comes to Ningo-Prampram to brutalise the people of Ningo-Prampram again, you will face the law of the streets,” he warned.
He insisted that residents deserved justice and that those responsible for the alleged misconduct would be held accountable, adding that he had obtained the identities of the soldiers involved.
