An Accra High Court has held that an injunction filed by the Accra Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service against the September 5 protest by the Minority is “irregular and wrong”. According to the Court, the application lacked the authorisation of the Attorney General.
Justice Edward Twum, as a result, directed the Command to amend its application within seven days since it was simply a misnomer not filing in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP). This follows an affidavit filed by the Minority in opposition to the police’s application filed last month.
Justice Twum, however, overruled the preliminary objection raised by the Minority’s lead counsel, Godwin Edudzi Tameklo. He adjourned the hearing to Monday, September 18. The two parties have been in court following a disagreement over the route of the protest.
The Minority, together with some civil society groups, planned to march from the forecourt of the Parliament House to the Bank of Ghana headquarters. But the police rejected this proposal, asking the Minority to end at the Black Star Square with the pretext that the central bank’s office in Accra is a security zone.
With the Minority snubbing this suggestion by the police, the law enforcers proceeded to court to injunct the march. It was originally scheduled for Tuesday, September 5. A second notice has been served the police for another march on Tuesday, September 12.
“So, we are making preparations for the big day, which is Tuesday’s demonstration,” the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, told journalists after Friday’s court proceedings. “They have invited us to a meeting and our representatives will be meeting them this afternoon at 2:00 pm.”
