Court, police stop lawyers from picketing at EC head office

The High Court in Accra has placed a 10-day prohibition on pressure group, Lawyers In Search of Democracy (LINSOD), led by Mr. Chris Ackumey, from picketing and demonstrating at the head office of the Electoral Commission.

The group had intended to picket at the EC head office in Accra on Friday, October 2, 2020, and in the words of lead convener Lawyer Chris Ackumey, “to ask very pertinent questions of the EC why it is not performing”, however the court agreed with the police that the circumstances were not conducive.

The police in response to a notice served it by LINSOD to embark on the demonstration, had told the group that owing the recent secessionist activities in the Volta region, a good number of its personnel have been deployed to the area to provide security.

It said many more police personnel are to be posted to registration centres to support the one-day voters registration extension scheduled for the same Friday, October 2.

“The Regional Police Command wishes to inform you that restrictions on social/public gathering (demonstrations) have not fully been lifted as a result of Covid-19 pandemic.

“Additionally, the premises where you intend to picket is a security zone and the police will therefore not support such activity.

“You are therefore requested to suspend your picketing/demonstration until restriction on social/public gatherings is fully lifted.”

Subsequently the police went to court to secure the prohibition order prohibiting the group from embarking on the demonstration.

In a telephone interview however, LINSOD convener, Chris Ackumey told Graphic Online that members of the group, numbering about 35, are law-abiding and thus would not do anything untoward.

He however disagreed with the police that the EC office is a security zone, wondering since when the EC office was designated as such.

“Even the Flagstaff House, before it became Jubilee House, was occupied, was it not. And were we not in this country when that happened. Well the court’s intervention (prohibition) is for only 10 days, we shall see what happens thereafter.”