Accra – Former Awutu Senya East Member of Parliament, Mavis Hawa Koomson, says the Interior Minister’s report on election-related violence has vindicated her, confirming that the 2020 Kasoa shooting incident was the result of systemic failures within security operations rather than the actions of any individual.
Reacting to the findings released by Interior Minister Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, Hawa Koomson said the report identified 21 suspects, including security officers who acted without proper justification in using firearms during the incident. According to her, the conclusions reinforce what she has maintained for years—that the tragedy stemmed from institutional lapses, not personal misconduct.
“For years I endured harsh and unfair public attacks. I was branded violent, reckless, and unfit for office through sensational and misleading headlines,” she said. “Today, the Interior Minister’s findings have vindicated me.”
The former minister recounted her ordeal during the rerun of 19 polling stations in Ablekuma North, where she said she was physically assaulted while monitoring the process. She described the episode as one of the most painful experiences of her public life, adding that it reflected how misinformation can harm reputations and put lives at risk.
While expressing no satisfaction in revisiting the events, Hawa Koomson extended sympathy to families affected by electoral violence and emphasized the need to draw lessons from the past. She welcomed the Interior Minister’s recommendations, which include compensation for victims, enhanced training for police officers, the use of non-lethal crowd control tools, and the withdrawal of the military from election-related security operations.
She urged political leaders and media practitioners to promote responsibility in their actions and reporting, warning that divisive narratives and misinformation only deepen national wounds.
“This moment calls not for blame, but for introspection, justice, and national unity,” she said.
Hawa Koomson concluded by expressing hope that the report’s findings will help rebuild public confidence in Ghana’s democratic institutions.
“May this truth restore faith in our institutions and strengthen our democracy. Let us all pledge that never again should political competition lead to the loss of Ghanaian lives,” she said.
Doe Benjamin Kofi Lawson