Ashaiman shooting: Deceased's family rejects GAF statement; demands an independent inquiry 

A relative of Mr Eric Ofotsu, the 28-year-old man who was allegedly shot in Ashaiman on Sunday, April 5, 2020, by a soldier has disputed the claims made by the Ghana Armed Forces to the effect that the deceased engaged the soldier in a scuffle, during which the soldier’s rifle went off accidentally.

Ms. Ofosua McCarthy, a sister of the deceased who witnessed the incident at Taaboline near the Ashaiman main market refuted the military’s assertion that his deceased brother attempted to disarm a soldier who was enforcing the COVID-19 restrictions on movement

Speaking to the Daily Graphic on Monday, April 6, 2020 at the scene of the incident, Ms MaCarthy said from what she saw, she suspects his brother was shot intentionally by the soldier.

She said around 3:30 pm on Sunday, she was descending from a storey building where she had laid a mat near the spot where the shooting occurred, when the soldier arrived.

She said when the soldier saw her, she asked where she was going to which she responded she was visiting the washroom nearby.

Ms McCarthy said the soldier allegedly marched her to the washroom and stood there while she urinated and later marched her back to the spot she was taking her nap.

She said while the soldier was descending, he saw the deceased approaching and ordered him to go home but the deceased told him he had no place to go since he sleeps in the market.

Ms McCarthy said although she intervened by telling the soldier that his brother had a mental challenge, the soldier would not barge but kept issuing orders.

“Other people near the scene intervened and told the soldier not to engage the deceased since he was known to be mentally unstable, but he would not listen to us.”  She said

The eyewitness said at some point of the confrontation, the soldier received a phone call and moved towards the military vehicle which was stationed in the market.

She said the soldier later returned to the scene with his rifle, pointed it at the deceased and shot him in his neck.