The commanding officer of the 4th Infantry Battalion in the Ashanti Region, Lieutenant Colonel Kwasi Ware Peprah, said soldiers who went to stop the Ejura protest could have killed over 100 protesters if their aim was to kill.
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Appearing before the committee of inquiry into the shooting incident last week, he said the soldiers only fired into the crowd to maim and not to kill
Lt. Col. Peprah said the two deaths were unfortunate.
“The aim was not to kill,” Lt Col Peprah told the committee on Wednesday.
“It was just unfortunate. If the aim was to kill, we would have gotten not less than 100 people dying.
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“As a matter of fact, I even suspect the weapon that fired from the protesters might have hit one of them. You see the soldiers started firing into the air, if you are not a professional and there is another rifle firing, you wouldn’t know,” he added.
Lt Col Peprah continued: “And that is how come some people are saying that they [the protestors] were not handling weapons.
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“When an M16 rifle fires, I know. When a G3 rifle fires, I know but the ordinary citizen and the media wouldn’t know. All you will hear is gunshots into the air. And since it started when the soldiers came, you will assume that it is only soldiers who are firing.”
