The police had earlier issued a statement on October 11, denying reports that they had failed to pay for his treatment, describing such claims as "falsehoods" intended to garner public sympathy.
However, in a Facebook post, Barker-Vormawor gave a detailed account of his experience, stating that while the police took him to the hospital, they did not initially cover the cost of his medication or medical tests.
He explained that police officers at the hospital pressured recently released protesters to pay for the prescribed drugs. When they refused, his brother gave a CID officer 100 cedis to partially cover the medication costs. Despite this, not all the drugs were purchased, and the blood tests required at the time were not paid for.
Barker-Vormawor further alleged that after news of the incident went public, the police sent a mobile money (Momo) transfer to one of the released protesters to reimburse the 100 cedis his brother had paid. He offered to share proof of this transaction and called on the police to provide receipts showing when the medications were procured. He emphasized that some medications were paid for by the police later, but only after the issue became public.
In his post, Barker-Vormawor also highlighted broader systemic issues, claiming that detainees are frequently denied necessary medical care. He mentioned a recent instance where he had to assist another detainee, who had been sick for a month without receiving treatment, by purchasing medication on their behalf.
He described such situations as routine within the police system, where detainees are often sent back to their cells without receiving the full course of treatment prescribed by medical professionals.
The Ghana Police Service, in their earlier statement, insisted that all medical costs related to Barker-Vormawor's treatment were covered according to their standard operating procedures. However, they cited doctor-patient confidentiality as the reason for not disclosing details of the expenses.
This dispute arises amidst continued public attention on Barker-Vormawor’s ongoing detention following his arrest during the #OccupyJulorbiHouse and #StopGalamsey protests in September.
While 52 other protesters were granted bail on October 9, Barker-Vormawor remains in custody, with his next court hearing scheduled for October 22, 2024.
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Oliver Barker-Vormawor