Lawyer and senior member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Kwame Jantuah has strongly condemned the Ghana Police Service for their recent handling of demonstrations, raising concerns about the designation of security zones and their heavy-handed response to peaceful protests.
This comes on the back of the Democracy Hub protest which happened on Saturday, September 21, 2024, against illegal mining. The Ghana Police Service accused the demonstrators of obstructing roads, dismantling police barricades, and disrupting traffic during the protest at the 37 Roundabout in Accra, leading to the arrest of more than 40 protesters. On Tuesday, September 24, 39 of those arrested were remanded into police custody for two weeks, with an additional 11 protesters remanded the following day, September 25.
Speaking on the Weekly Review Segment with Naa Dedei Tettey, he underscored the significance of respecting the constitutional right to protest, accusing the police of misplacing their priorities.”Is it legal? Yes, it’s legal. It’s in the constitution, isn’t it? The right to demonstrate is there for a reason. People are allowed to express their grievances through peaceful protests,” Mr. Jantuah stated.
He also questioned the decision to classify locations like the Jubilee House and the Bank of Ghana as restricted areas for protesters. “What do they mean by security area? Right now, cars are passing in front of Flagstaff House. Do you know what is in a car passing by? Do you know what kind of terrorist is in a car passing by? Do you know what car passing by has a bomb in it that can be ignited? And you tell me it’s a security zone. If it’s truly a security zone, you shouldn’t allow anyone to pass through,” he argued.
Mr. Jantuah expressed his disbelief at the idea that the police could not control a peaceful protest in areas considered security zones. “Are you trying to tell me, with all the force that the police have, they cannot monitor a demonstration going through Flagstaff House? They can’t do that? The police are equipped, they have the numbers, and they have the training. Are they saying they are incapable of managing a demonstration? Their job is to ensure that such things don’t get out of hand, not to prevent the exercise of legal rights.”
On the subject of intelligence, Mr. Jantuah expressed doubts about the police’s preparedness, referencing an incident where demonstrator, Oliver allegedly tampered with a police vehicle. “How did Oliver manage to get to the police car and take the ignition key out? How? By the way, why was the ignition key still in the ignition of the police vehicle? Was there no other officer in the car to stop him from doing that?” he questioned.