The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has admitted it detained two protesters of the ‘Stop Galamsey Now’ demonstrations, organized by Democracy Hub, beyond 48 hours.
In a statement issued on Thursday, September 26, 2024 in response to the uproar of Ghanaian on why the two protesters were kept for more than 48 hours, the police described it as unfortunate but added it had instructed the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) to investigate the matter.
The police said “As part of our efforts to be transparent, and maintain high ethical and professional standards, the Police Administration has directed the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB, formerly PIPS) to investigate the circumstances under which two of the suspects were kept in Police custody beyond 48 hours without being sent to court, for the necessary disciplinary action to be taken against those responsible”.
The police debunked allegation of the arrest of a 12-year-old girl, a 68-year-old woman, and a pregnant woman among the protesters arrested.
Portion of their statement read “In the case of the 12-year-old child and the 68-year-old woman, in the course of the arrest, Police realized that one of the suspects, Grace “Asantewaa, a 50-year-old woman, who is being reported as a 68-year-old, had a child with her. In order not to separate the child from the woman, the child was allowed to accompany her to the Police Station”.
“At the Police Station, Police provided the child with food and for the sake of the child, her guardian, Grace Asantewaa, was granted a Police enquiry bail and allowed to go home with the child. The Ghana Poke Service has charged Grace Asantewaa with the offence of exposing a child to danger, by bringing her to the demonstration grounds, contrary to section 71 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29)”.