Organizers apologize for contents of Police notice
Maurice Ampaw wants organizers arrested and questioned
Private legal practitioner, Maurice Ampaw, has stated that organizers of the now injuncted June 4 demonstration ought to be arrested and questioned by the authorities.
He believes that they have questions to answer with respect to their official notification that they intended to hold the protest with armed private security operatives and that some members will also be armed.
The planned protest generated public opposition after organizers informed police about their personal security plans.
For lawyer Ampaw, in comments made on June 3 on Accra-based Okay FM, the notice by the organizers was anti-security and showed that they hand sinister motives that needed to be probed in the light of recent terrorist threats in the sub-region.
“We have the regular police service who have always been impartial and highly professional and this is not the first time they have given security for a protest. The last time the group went on a protest, Dampare led the police team that ensured security and there was no issue.
“You finished and came to thank the Police, so you can’t turn around and say I don’t trust you. The moment you tell the police that I am bringing my own, it means you don’t trust them, that is the implication.
Citing the contents of their letter, Ampaw stated that they needed to be picked up. “This is the highest impunity and they ought to be even arrested because the content of the letter shows that they have more diabolic intentions and are ready to arm themselves at any time.
“They need to be questioned about these private security elements they are talking about, where and who are they? And so in my opinion, seriously we need to go for them.
The Ghana Police Service on June 3, got a court order restraining the group from going ahead with the protest.
The organizers had earlier in the week retracted that they indeed planned to embark on a protest armed, explaining that they actually meant to draw attention to instances of Police brutality.
Background to June 4 protest
Leaders of the protest wrote to the Ghana Police Service seeking clearance to hold a three-day protest starting June 4th.
The said letter noted that the protesters will employ the services of armed private security personnel during the march.
They also communicated plans to picket at the Police headquarters and at the premises of the state broadcaster - where they expect to be allowed to express their concerns on LIVE TV.
The Police, however, described the protest as inconsistent with the Public Order Act.
A June 1, 2022 press statement signed by Chief Inspector Bright Kwabena Danso, Regional Public Affairs Unit, Ashanti Region, said the “nature and character" of the demonstration as intended was inconsistent with the Public Order Act.
The statement stressed, “we are, therefore, unable to provide security for a demonstration, which is in flagrant violation of the Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 49) and has the potential to result in a breach of public order and public safety.
“We wish to assure the public that in the interest of public safety and security, the Police are putting in place all necessary measures to ensure that unauthorised persons do not march the streets with weapons,” it added.
Maurice Ampaw