Democracy Hub Demo: The Police are the new colonial masters- Counsel for detained protesters
Accra, Ghana - The counsel for 46 arrested Stop Galamsey protesters has denounced the Ghana Police Service's actions, citing bad faith and rights violations.
Prince Ganaku expressed frustration on Joy News, criticizing the police's handling of the protest and their tactics, including denying access to legal representation.
Ganaku accused the police of abusing power and acting above the law, with the courts complicit in suppressing protesters' rights.
He believes the arrests and bail refusal aim to silence dissenting voices.
The lawyer vowed to defend the protesters and uphold their rights, raising crucial questions about balancing order and protecting citizens' fundamental rights amidst Ghana's galamsey crackdown.
“This is not about enforcing the law. It has never been about enforcing the law,” he stated.
“If they were acting in good faith, they would have gone to court three months ago. What they chose to do was wait, act in bad faith, and go to court two days before the protest to get an ex parte injunction.”
“The police take the protesters, drive around with them, win, turn around, and come back. You ask where the protesters are, and they don’t let you see them."
"Lawyers have gone to the police station to see their clients, and there’s an order from above that nobody should be allowed to see anybody,” he explained, criticising the police for playing a cat-and-mouse game with the legal process.
“If I should mention the institution that abuses their power in this country, you know who comes to mind? It is the Ghana Police Service. So this is not about enforcing the law because there is nobody more lawless than the Ghana Police Service," he said.
“The courts are, in a sense, complicit in endorsing the tactics of the police. The Supreme Court has already settled the issue of the right to protest, yet we still have the police overreaching and trying to make themselves regulators of a right that’s inherent in all of us, with the tacit and express endorsement of the court.”
“The police are behaving as though the government has entered into a joint venture with the courts to suppress protests. The people under whose authority this has gotten so bad live in mansions, their kids go to school abroad, and they have double passports. They are the new colonial masters.”
“You don’t want a system where people internalize their frustration and feel as though the entire government machinery is against them. That is a recipe for disaster,” he warned, citing past instances in Ghana’s history where military interventions were preceded by a “culture of silence.”
“If I have to, I will apply for a copy of the court proceedings and publish it online. Let everyone see the arguments made by both sides and draw their conclusions,” Ganaku declared, calling for transparency in the legal process.
Source : Lead News Online
