Hawa Koomson's Action Might Have A Cause; Give Her Fair Hearing - Kabila

CPP Acting General Secretary, James Kwabena Bomfeh says it's too early for any person to make a judgement call on the Minister for Special Development Initiatives and Awutu Senya East MP, Mavis Hawa Koomson.

James Kwabena Bomfeh, popularly called Kabilla held that Hawa Koomson, like any Ghanaian, must have a fair hearing before one can suggest a punitive measure should be meted out to her.

The Minister has incurred the wrath of the public after she instigated a shooting incident at a registration centre in her constituency on Monday, July, 20, 2020.

She had gone to the Step to Christ registration centre following a tip-off that some people who were not residents in the constituency have been bused to register their names in the ongoing voter registration exercise.

According to her, her “police escort had not started work yet'', so she went to the centre in the absence of her bodyguard but took a gun for protection.

She further claimed her life was threatened by some people at the centre, hence triggering her to fire gunshots to scare her attackers.

“I realised the lives of my people were in danger. So I wanted to scare the people. I fired the warning shots. I didn’t direct it at anybody."

Some people have translated her action as self-defence but there are others who want her removed from her position.

Both the Majority and Minority in Parliament have also condemned her action.

Addressing the issue on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Kabilla stressed ''it's not enough at this stage to call for a punitive measure against her immediately if you believe that no matter how grievous an offence, the individual involved deserve a hearing, that rule must apply regardless who''.

To him, Hawa Koomson must be given the benefit of the doubt till the Police have launched and concluded their investigations into the incident.

''What if after investigations, it's proven the incident is not how it appears? What if the investigations show she wasn't the one who fired the gunshots but rather she wants to carry someone's sins, so admitting she did it? What if the investigations show the shots didn't come from her gun?'' he questioned.

''Even in war, I want to believe that there are rules of engagement and pulling a weapon, and moving to the extent of firing that weapon; I don't think it's ordinary thing to do. There must be cause. There must be grounds to do that.

''This is the reason why there should be investigations before judgement. On that note, I want to suggest as I always do, no matter what you know, no matter how much you know; there may be a little more out there unknown to you. Be measured!'' 
he advised her critics.