Police debunk claims of detaining minors, pregnant woman
The Ghana Police Service has stated that all 54 persons arrested for unlawfully protesting have been put before court in line with due process of law.
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It said the case was being prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney-General.
In its latest statement Thursday night, signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Grace Ansah-Akrofi, to update the public on the arrest and prosecution of Democracy Hub protesters in Accra, the police refuted claims that the police detained a 12-year-old child, a 68-year-old woman as well as a pregnant woman.
“We would like to categorically state that all these are false and they are calculated attempts by the organisers to court public sympathy”.
“We, therefore, urge the public to disregard these reports and treat them with the contempt they deserve,” the police said in the statement.
Explanations
Explaining their position, the police said in the course of the arrest, they realised that one of the suspects, Grace Asantewaa, a 50-year-old woman, who was being paraded by the organisers as a 68-year-old, had a child with her.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor, one of the Democracy Hub protesters, removing the key to a Police tow van
In order not to separate the child from the woman, the child was allowed to accompany her to the Police Station, the statement added.
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“At the Police Station, police provided the child with food and for the sake of the child, her guardian, Grace Asantewaa, was granted a police enquiry bail and allowed to go home with the child,” it said.
It added that the police had charged Asantewaa for the offence of exposing a child to danger, for bringing her to the demonstration grounds, contrary to section 71 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
“In the case of the alleged pregnant woman, Gloria Vera Louise, we would like to clarify that at the time of the arrest, there was no visible indication that she was pregnant”.
“Additionally, at no point during the arrest or subsequent interactions did the suspect inform the police of a pregnancy,” the statement said.
“Again, there was no communication to the court of any such condition either by herself or through her lawyers,” the police said.
In order to establish the veracity of the claim publicly, the police took her to the Police Hospital and an independent health facility for a thorough medical examination.
“Both medical results came out negative, suggesting that Gloria Vera Louise, is not pregnant as claimed,” the statement added.
Recall
The statement recalled the genesis of the situation, starting from July 9, this year, when the police received a notice from Democracy Hub of its intention to hold a protest from September 21 to 23, this year at the Revolution Square in front of the Jubilee House.
The police engaged the conveners and agreed with them on the chosen date of the demonstration, but advised the members to change their chosen venue for the protest, which was considered a security zone and likely to affect public defence, public order, public safety, public health and the running of essential services.
However, the organisers refused to consider an alternative location and insisted on picketing the Revolution Square, the statement said.
The police sought the determination of the court over the venue, and the Hight Court on September 18, this year granted an order to prohibit Democracy Hub from using the Revolution Square as the venue for their intended demonstration.
“For purposes of emphasis, the police was not in court to prevent them from demonstrating on the stated dates,” the statement stressed.
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The police said it subsequently met with the organisers and urged them to accept seven venues it had proposed to them.
“Unfortunately, despite police efforts to facilitate their constitutional right to demonstrate, the organisers remained adamant and insisted that they will disobey the order of the courts and picket at the Revolutionary Square in front of the Jubilee House,” the statement alluded.
It said last Saturday, the demonstrators unlawfully assembled at the 37 Intersection and engaged in acts which caused extreme inconvenience to the general public, particularly the motoring public.
The alleged unlawful acts, according to the police, included blocking the intersection in all directions with vehicles, stones and logs, causing massive vehicular traffic across the city, setting fire in the intersection, harassing and attacking road users, including Military and Police officers, as well as abusing police and military officers.
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“These ‘unGhanaian’, uncivil and unlawful acts of the demonstrators caused extreme inconvenience to commuters who were caught in traffic for several hours, persons in need of medical care had difficulty reaching the medical facilities, families visiting their loved ones who were on admission at the hospital had difficulty getting to them with essential supplies,” the statement pointed out.
It added that there were delays in people attending social and cultural activities such as funerals “which define us as a people” and there was a negative impact on commercial activities, including people missing their flights and others not being able to access their businesses.
The police said after an assessment at the end of the first day, they cautioned the organisers against their demonstration at the 37 Intersection, and advised that they move to any of the proposed seven locations.
It said they disregarded the caution and unlawfully assembled once again at the 37 Intersection the following day and began to repeat their previous day’s actions.
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“While the police were persuasively and professionally engaging them to leave the street to restore normal traffic flow, the demonstrators attacked the police, with one of them going into a police vehicle, removing the ignition key and running away with it, while others threw police barriers at the police, among others,” the statement said.
“The police had no option but to arrest them,” it added.
Barker-Vormawor charged
Meanwhile, the state has charged Oliver Barker-Vormawor, one of the Democracy Hub protesters against illegal small-scale mining, galamsey, and economic hardship, with stealing.
He was one of 13 people who were charged yesterday with multiple counts of conspiracy, unlawful assembly, causing unlawful damage, offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace, assault of public officers and defacing of public property.
According to the prosecution, Barker-Vormawor, in particular, was seen forcefully entering a police towing van, and without authorisation, turned off the engine and removed the ignition key to the van.
“This action demobilised the police to tow away the vehicle that the accused persons had used to block the public roads,” the prosecution, led by Nana Akosua Kusi, told the court yesterday.
The court, presided over by Kwabena Kodua Obiri-Yeboah, remanded in police custody the accused persons who pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Food
Remanding the accused persons, the court ordered the police to ensure that they were fed twice daily and provided with adequate medical facilities.
In their submission for bail, defence counsel argued that their clients were not flight risks, had fixed places of abode, were gainfully employed and had people of substance to stand surety for them.
They further alleged that the police were starving their clients.
Opposing the bail application, Nana Kusi told the court that the police went to the extent of buying the accused persons meals from Papaye.
“The accused persons are being fed, the police go to the extent of buying them Papaye,” the State Attorney told the court.
This was corroborated by the Head of Legal at the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent of Police Sylvester Asare, who told the court that he supervised the investigative team.
“When it comes to feeding, a budget has been made for feeding. And I personally supervised the distribution of the food,” he added.
But the defence counsel maintained that their clients were being starved by the police.
The State Attorney told the court that none of the accused persons had demonstrated to the satisfaction of the court that they met the grounds to be granted bail.