Pressure group Respect My Vote Movement has issued a press release critiquing the police service as being selective in the application of the law.
The Respect My Vote movement said, this leads to the undermining of rule of law. In the release they catalogued a number of evidence to back their assertion, including that; “On Wednesday, December 23,2020, Kennedy Agyapong( MP for Assin Central) said on “The Dialogue” show on Net2 TV that he will burn the houses of the former President John Dramani Mahama and some NDC bigwigs, claiming without evidence that the NDC is behind the burning of markets. The video of such threat from the MP went viral on social media, the police is however, mute on this happening”.
Read the full press release below ;
Press Release
SELECTIVE APPLICATION OF THE LAW BY GHANA POLICE SERVICE UNDERMINING THE RULE OF LAW-RESPECT MY VOTE MOVEMENT
Accra, 29th December,2020 – Pro-democracy group Respect My Vote Movement is worried about the selective application of the law by the Ghana Police Service.
The group is of the view that this practice is undermining the rule of law and has the potential to engender a culture of impunity in the country.
Respect My Vote is concerned that this development will further deepen the distrust that citizens have for the police and is calling on the Inspector-General of Police to take steps to address this ugly phenomenon.
Below are but a few incidents that illustrate police bias.
1. On July 20,2020 at Step to Christ Polling Station, Hon. Hawa Koomsoon- a Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East Constituency, who doubles as a Minister for Special Development Initiatives was seen firing a gun without authority. This she admitted to on Adom TV but the Police is yet to take any action against the MP.
2. Kwame Baffoe popularly known as Abronye DC (Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP) has accused the former President John Dramani Mahama of killing the late president John Evans Atta Mills on a Net2 TV programme. Mr. Mahama then petitioned the Director- General of the Criminal Investigative Department( CID) to investigate the murder allegation but the Police is yet to inform the general public on the state of their investigations since May, 2020.
3. Bryan Acheampong authorized the operation of a SWAT team for the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election on 31st January 2019, leading to the shooting of innocent Ghanaians who were around the Bawaleshie polling station to exercise their franchise in that election and as such, the Emile Short Commission recommended that he be punished but the Police looked on aloof and has taken no action even s at now.
4. On Wednesday, December 23,2020, Kennedy Agyapong( MP for Assin Central) said on “The Dialogue” show on Net2 TV that he will burn the houses of the former President John Dramani Mahama and some NDC bigwigs, claiming without evidence that the NDC is behind the burning of markets. The video of such threat from the MP went viral on social media, the police is however, mute on this happening.
5. Manasseh recently disclosed on Joy FM’s News file show -26th December, 2020, that he has received death threat and that he does not feel safe as a journalist. Sadly, the Ghana Police Service whose primary duty is it to protect life, properties and to maintain law and order in the country, is yet to assure him of safety.
On the other hand, the same police service that fails and continue to fail to act when members of the NPP and for that matter the government officials break the law, would act swiftly on any matter involving perceived as from of the opposition political parties. The under listed incidences support the claim that the Police Service is being overly biased.
1. There was a voice recording that got leaked purporting to the voice of the National Chairman of the NDC- Mr. Ofosu Ampofo, the police swiftly invited him for investigation and subsequently arraigned him in court for prosecution and up till now Mr. Ofosu Ampofo has been in court for forty four( 44) times facing prosecution.
2. Mr.Boamah Bennie Oheneba of Power FM was swiftly invited and detained by the CID of the Ghana Police for a video post he made on his Facebook wall allegedly insulting and issuing threats to the President of Ghana – Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
3. Hon. Inusah Fuseini has been invited by the Police without any delay for allegedly advising former President Mahama to declare himself a president and form a parallel government on Pan African TV because he believes Mr. Mahama won the election.
4. The Minority Members of Parliament on 22nd Dcember, 2020 staged a walk from Parliament to the Electoral Commission’s head office to present a petition regarding the irregularity in the Tachiman South Parliamentary result, the Police however, attempted stopping them from getting to the premises of the EC which the MPs did not allow. For the fact that those MPs went ahead and walked to the EC’s premises, even though could not present the petition the EC, the Police service has invited some of the MPs who took part in the walk on the order of Accra District Court for breaching the Public Order Act.
5. The police arrested innocent citizens who were exercising their constitutional right to demonstrate against the outcome of the 2020 elections and arraigned them before court. They even proceeded to court to secure an injunction against NDC supporters from exercising their constitutional rights to demonstrate.
The Inspector-General of Police and the entire management of them police service must be reminded their loyalty is to the state and not the government or party in power and therefore they must act professionally and fairly at all times.
Many surveys show low trust ratings for the police. It is the responsibility of the leadership of the police service to ensure that officers live above reproach and do not engage in acts to cause distrust for the police service. The police always appeals to citizens to support by cooperating with them. However, if the conduct of the police doesn’t change in this regard, it will be difficult for the police to enjoy maximum cooperation from citizens.
RESPECT MY VOTE MOVEMENT
Akalilu Samed 024 317 3375
Stephen Kwabena Attuh 024 371 8353
Ama Owusuah Boateng 024 579 8712
Filed By: Agaatorne Douglas Asaah / awakenewsroom.com