An Accra High Court has placed an interlocutory injunction on the intended 3-day demonstration by the #FixTheCountry Movement and some other persons which they sought to embark on with armed private personnel.
The court, presided over by Justice Comfort Tasiame, granted the application filed by the Ghana Police Service which is to last from June 4 to June 6, 2022.
DSP Sylvester Asare, who moved the application for injunction, urged the court to restrain the organisers, their agents, assigns or their followers from embarking on the intended demonstration in the interest of public safety, protection and effective policing.
He said the court has jurisdiction to prohibit the organisers from going ahead to hold the demonstration which included picketing at the Ghana Police Headquarters and also at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation where they intended to address the nation through their channel.
Justice Tasiame, in her ruling described the intended demonstration as a “recipe for chaos” and subsequently granted the order restraining the organisers and their followers from embarking on the demonstration which has been condemned by many Ghanaians, including some members of the movement.
Police Rejection
The Accra Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service last week rejected a request from organisers of the demonstration, including broadcaster, Godsbrain Smart, popularly known as Captain Smart, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Okatakyie Afrifa, and Bennjamin Darko to demonstrate.
In their notice to the police, they had requested to be allowed to contract armed private security personnel to protect the demonstrators.
The Police said the nature and character of the demonstration as intended, is inconsistent with the Public Order Act hence the decision to stop it.
Backlash
The letter to the police generated public condemnation with many raising eyebrows about the true and intended purpose of the planned demonstration.
This led to a split in the camp of the #FixTheCountry Movement, with Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah admitting that the group went overboard when they authored the letter to the police.
Captain Smart also condemned the letter and said he was not in support of its content and demands, adding that he did not sign the said letter.
But Barker-Vormaworn, later posted a screenshot of what was supposedly his WhatsApp conversation with Captain Smart who was sent a PDF copy of the letter which was later sent to the police.
Apology
Meanwhile, the group in a statement on Thursday apologized for the nature of the demonstration, stating that “We wish to reiterate that #Fixthecountry is a movement committed to peaceful democratic accountability.”
Meanwhile, Captain Smart has cleared the air that although he is a convener for #FixTheCountry, he never signed the infamous letter which was responded to by the police.
A letter believed to be from the conveners and addressed to the Accra Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service has been spotted on social media with its content stirring mixed reaction.
Excerpts from the letter spoke about a demonstration planned to take place on Saturday, June 4 to register their displeasure to the authorities in the country.
The letter asked for permission and security from the Ghana police and stated intentions to demonstrate with weapons if the security force refuses to grant them permission.
Speaking on the 3FM Drive with Giovani on Wednesday, June 1, Captain Smart said he knows nothing about the letter and his lawyers are currently writing to address the trending issue.
He cleared that he does not support violence and will never approve a rebellious demonstration.
“Why will I support the use of weapons to demonstrate when I want the country to be fixed? If they use violence and destroy the country, what will be left to be fixed?” Captain Smart questioned.
Source Daily Guide
