The Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court has awarded GH¢150,000 in damages against the Ghana Police Service in favour of three protestors over acts of police brutality during the #OccupyJulorbi demonstration in 2023. In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, the court, presided over by Justice Nana Brew, held that the police violated the fundamental human rights of Bridget Otoo, Vanessa Edotom Boateng, and chartered accountant George Gyening Anyang during the protest, which was organised to draw attention to the country’s harsh economic conditions at the time.
The court upheld an application for the enforcement of fundamental human rights filed on behalf of the three applicants by their lawyer, Mr Samson Lardy Anyenini. The damages awarded included GH¢100,000 in compensatory damages, GH¢50,000 in general damages, and GH¢30,000 in legal costs. The court further ordered the Ghana Police Service to issue and publish an unqualified apology in the Daily Graphic.
In its findings, the court held that evidence before it showed that police officers assaulted Bridget Otoo and ripped her blouse during the demonstration. The court also found that Vanessa Edotom Boateng was unlawfully detained and had her mobile phone seized in an attempt to prevent her from recording incidents of alleged police brutality.
With regard to George Gyening Anyang, the court held that evidence presented showed that police officers punched and beat him to stop him from livestreaming events at the Accra Regional Police Command.
Source: Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson
