The Catholic Bishop of the Jasikan Diocese, Most Rev. Gabriel Akwasi Ababio Mante, has issued an urgent call for justice following the brutal assault of three Indian missionary priests in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region.

The incident, which occurred on December 11, 2024, has drawn criticism over the lack of arrests despite video evidence identifying the attackers.

In an open letter dated December 30, addressed to Ghana’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, Bishop Mante expressed profound disappointment with the slow pace of the investigation.

The priests, Fr. Robinson Melkis, Fr. Martin George, and Fr. Henry Jacob, all members of the Franciscan Capuchin Order, were attacked while refuelling a rented bulldozer for a land development project.

The assault left Fr. Jacob with a broken eardrum, forcing him to return to India for medical treatment.

Video evidence reportedly captures the young men responsible for the attack, but no arrests have been made.

This inaction, Bishop Mante stated, has deeply shaken trust in the Ghana Police Service's commitment to justice.

The Bishop acknowledged the IGP’s swift intervention in arranging medical care for Fr. Jacob, first at the Police Hospital and later at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

However, he questioned why, weeks after the assault, the assailants remain at large.

“We are appalled that to date, despite the clear video evidence, the executors of the assault are still walking free with no arrests made,” the letter read.

Bishop Mante raised concerns about whether the priests’ status as Indian nationals was influencing the pace of the investigation.

“Are we right to believe that since the victims of the unjustifiable beatings are of Indian nationality and not Ghanaian nationals, they cannot receive justice from the Ghana Police Service?” he asked.

He also cautioned about the potential diplomatic fallout, warning that the delay in justice could strain Ghana-India relations. “We wish to remind the IGP… of the disgraceful and possible sour relationships that could develop between India and Ghana if the culprits are not arrested and brought to justice,” the letter noted.

The Bishop’s letter also touched on a larger issue of political violence in Ghana, particularly after the elections.

He described the recurring violence as a “disgraceful unwritten law” and called for mechanisms to end such attacks.

Quoting Biblical scripture, “Our brothers’ blood is crying to God from the ground” (Genesis 4:10), and invoking the words of British statesman William E. Gladstone, “Justice delayed is justice denied,” Bishop Mante underscored the moral and ethical imperative for action.