REPORT ANY UNPROVOKED ATTACKS AND BRUTALITIES TO US - LT COLONEL AGGREY QUARSHIE

BY Kingsley Komla Adom

Director of Public Affairs of the the Ghana Armed Forces has charged civilians to endeavor to report any unprovoked assault,battery,and brutality meted out to them by personnel of the service,in order that the appropriate sanctions are applied.

He said once it is established that a uniformed personnel has abused his opposite number,the service will take serious action according to military rules to bring anyone found culpable to book.

He made these remarks on the sidelines of the 15th open day activities to commemorate Ghana's 58th Independence anniversary at Burma Camp in Accra.

Lt Col Quarshie's charge comes on the back of recent reports in sections of the media of alleged military brutalities on pupils and other civilians in parts of the country.

The Director of Public Affairs noted that the military as a body does not send its men to go and molest civilians,and that once an issue of molestation comes up,his outfit would investigate and appropriately sanction personnel who flout any of the rules of engagement.

He used the occasion of the open day to apologize to the public and all who have been in one way or another victims of molestation by military personnel,adding that the Ghana Armed Forces will not condone any form of abuse of the Ghanaian people.

On the issue of recruitment fraud,a combined team from the Defence Intelligence unit and the military police of the Ghana Armed Forces on November last year arrested two persons for their involvement in enlistment fraud.

The arrested fraudsters were unsuccessful in their attempt to dupe their victims of monies running into several thousands of cedis with the aim of getting them recruited into the service.

In recent times,the issue of recruitment fraud has gained prominence among other sister security agencies,in response to this,Lt Col Quarshie said recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces for this year has ended,hence anyone who approaches any civilian under the pretext of selling recruitment forms and taking huge sums of money from them,should be regarded as criminal and reported to the Ghana armed forces.

"Don't don't give money to anybody for any reason.We don't take money from anybody during recruitment.If you are not qualified,you're not going to get recruited and it is as simple as that," he added.

He implored members of the public to contact the service for clarification on any issue relating to recruitment and others ,so they are not taken advantage of by criminals.