‘Arise Ghana’ Demonstration: Court Modifies Time and Venue

Court ruling

The application of the Ghana Police Service against pressure group Arise Ghana over their upcoming two-day rallies scheduled for Tuesday, June 28, to Wednesday, June 29, has been partially allowed by the Criminal Court 4 of the Accra High Court.

ACP Henry Otoo, director of police operations, requested a court order prohibiting the group from demonstrating from 3 pm to 10 pm, citing safety and terrorist concerns.

Lead Counsel for Conveners of Arise Ghana, Edudzi Tameklo told the court that notice had been served to the Police on June 1 but the Service waited till few days to the protests before raising concerns.

The group’s ally and former PNC National Chairman Bernard Mornah filed a 37-point affidavit to counter the police statement, but the prosecutor who was in charge of the case, DSP Asare, asked the court to postpone so they could review the document because they had not yet received it.



The prosecution has until 11:30 a.m. to review and react to the affidavit after the presiding judge, Comfort Tasiameh, called for a break.

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Later, the hearing resumed, however, DSP Asare again asked for a second delay to give him more time to review the paper.

The demonstrations will take place on both days, according to the ruling of presiding judge Comfort Tasiameh, who also underlined that they will begin at 8 am and end at 4 pm.

In place of their first intended location, the Jubilee House, she said, they should diverge at Obra Spot at Circle, go via Farris o Avenue to TUC, and end at Independence Square.

Any petition they wish to submit should be received by any available representative of the President.

Attorney Tameklo requested the court to reject the adjournment, arguing that to do otherwise would establish a precedent for the Police to adopt this strategy to discourage citizens from holding protests.

Bernard Mornah, in response to the decision, pointed out that steps had been taken to uphold the demonstrations’ original finish time.

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