The Ministry of the Interior has moved to distance itself from the man captured in the viral video allegedly assaulting a suspect in police custody, dismissing claims that he works for the Ministry or holds a government appointment on the Hajj Board.
Spokesperson to the Interior Minister, Julius Kwame Anthony, described both claims as false and urged public commentators to verify information before attributing individuals involved in controversial incidents to government institutions.
Mr. Anthony specifically challenged a claim attributed to activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor that the individual seen in the video works for the Ministry of the Interior.
“With all respect to him, that’s a lie. It is complete falsehood,” he said, adding that greater due diligence should have been undertaken before the claim was circulated.
He said the Ministry has no employment relationship with the individual, insisting that reports linking him to the institution are inaccurate.
Mr. Anthony also rejected separate claims circulating publicly that the man is an appointee of President John Dramani Mahama serving on the Hajj Board.
“The individual is not an appointee of the President to the Hajj Board. He is not. He doesn’t work for government in that capacity,” he stated.
He acknowledged that political leadership would naturally face scrutiny when serious incidents occur under state institutions but argued that this should not remove the responsibility on individuals making public claims to establish the facts before publication.
According to him, misinformation surrounding sensitive incidents could distort public understanding and distract attention from legitimate questions of accountability.
The clarification comes as the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has directed the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the circumstances under which civilians allegedly gained access to a handcuffed suspect at the Police Headquarters.
The Ministry is also seeking answers on the police officers who had direct custody of the suspect and their supervisors, including whether any action or omission on their part enabled the alleged assault.
Mr. Anthony maintained that while investigations into the incident must establish responsibility wherever it lies, claims about the alleged assailant’s links to government must equally be based on verified facts.
