Following the filing of an injunction application to halt the protest on September 21, the Ghana Police Service has clarified that it has properly served the #OccupyJulorBiHouse protest organizers with the court process.
The Ghana Police Service claims that after submitting the injunction application, it served notice to the protest organizers within the grounds of Jubilee House from September 21, 2023, through September 23, 2023.
The Ghana Police Service had been informed of the protest on Nkrumah Memorial Day by the Accra-based civil society organization organizing it, Democracy Hub, “the President and members of the Economic Management Team to #FixTheCountry in light of the level of economic mismanagement and theft that has engulfed our government from the highest levels.”
“The picketing will also allow citizens to express their opposition to the proposed military intervention in Niger as well as any other government policy decisions or initiatives,” it added.
The group claims that because Nkrumah Memorial Day honors Nkrumah, it is essential to the message they want to convey, “the spirit of resilience and resistance that led the struggle against oppression and dispossession.”
However, the police went ahead and requested the injunction.
Therefore, the police have urged the public “to take note and disregard any calls from any individuals or groups encouraging them to assemble for a demonstration at the Jubilee House” as the parties wait for the court to determine the matter.
“We equally wish to urge the organisers to respect the due process in the interest of public order and public safety,” it added.
However, the organizers insisted on Wednesday that they had not received the court process.
In response to the police’s initial statement, they claimed that they maintained a ruse throughout the entire engagement.
As a result, it pleaded with the public to disregard the police statement, which it described as “riddled with misinformation,” and added that the protest would proceed as planned.
But the Ghana Police Service insisted that the court process had been followed through the attorneys for the protest organizers in a new statement issued on Wednesday evening.
It said” We wish to state categorically that the organisers of Democracy Hub were duly served with the application on Tuesday, September 19th, 2023, through their lawyers (Atuguba & Associates) and for that matter, the organisers are duly aware of the pendency of the application before the High Court slated for determination on Tuesday, 26th September, 2023.
The organizers identified the lawyers who were served as their legal representatives when they first informed the police of their intended protest, according to the police.
Thus, the Police statement urged the general public to refrain from taking part in an “illegal” demonstration. It was signed by Superintendent Juliana Obeng, Head of Public Affairs Unit, Accra Region.
Below is the latest police statement:
