A former Foreign Affairs Minister under President Kuffour’s administration, Akwesi Osei Agyei has commended President Akufo-Addo for calling for justice for George Floyd, a black American who died in police custody last week in the United States.
The death of George Floyd 46, of St. Louis Park, who repeatedly told a Minneapolis Police Officer he couldn’t breathe as the officer knelt on his neck, has sparked mass protests across the nation and days of widespread looting, fires and destruction.
Four officers involved in the May 25 arrest of Mr. Floyd resulting in his death have been fired. One of the former officers, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and second degree manslaughter in the killing. The other three ex-officers have not yet been charged. Police and prosecutors continue to investigate.
President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday took to his Facebook wall to express shock and disgust over the killing of the unarmed black man. He said the act brought back painful memories of how people of colour were treated some decades ago.
But many within the public space have questioned if the President was in the right for calling for justice for the black American.
Reacting to the question, Mr. Akwesi Osei Agyei said with Ghana being a member of the African Union, it is only prudent for African leaders to show concern in such matters just as President Akufo-Addo had done.
read also: Thousands around the world protest George Floyd’s death in global display of solidarity
Meanwhile, a private post-mortem examination by medical examiners hired by the Floyd family has found that Mr. Floyd died from asphyxia (lack of oxygen).
The findings differ from an official preliminary examination carried out by the county medical examiner who did not find evidence of “traumatic asphyxia or strangulation”. The official examination also said underlying health conditions played a role in Mr Floyd’s death. But a statement from the Floyd legal team said the two doctors hired by the Floyd family found the death was a homicide.
Mr. Floyd’s family has scheduled a memorial for their late relative for Thursday June 4.
ATLFMNEWS
