21 persons suspected to be members of the LGBTQI community in the country have been remanded into Police custody by a Ho High Court.
The suspects who are made up of 16 females and five males were arraigned last Friday May 21, 2021 after their arrest the previous day.
They were arrested at the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwifery Association (GRNMA) Hostel at Godokpui near Ho. They are alleged to have met there for a workshop on LGBTQI promotion and facilitation.
Attempts by the lawyer of the accused persons to secure a bail was denied by the court presided over by Justice Felix Datsomor.
The accused, who have been preliminarily charged with unlawful assembly are to reappear on June 4, 2021.
A press release from the Volta Regional Police Command and signed by the Public Affairs Officer, Sergeant Prince Dogbatse indicated that the accused are suspected to be lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, queer or intersexual.
They had come from all over the country (Greater Accra, Ashanti, Upper West, Upper East, Western, Eastern, Northern and Volta region) for the workshop and activities which the Police believe may be unlawful.
Some of the materials recovered during the arrest which the Police suspect are crucial in the promotion of LGBTQI activities in the country include books such as Hate Crime, The LGBTQ+ Muslim, Gender Acronyms, Coming Out (as LGBBTQ+), My Child; My Love always, All about Trans and All About lntersex.
Flyers and banners of two organisations suspected to be the sponsors and facilitators; thus Key Watch and One Love Sisters Ghana, were also discovered.
An assessment of the materials retrieved from the suspects points to encouraging members of the public to be confident in their sexual and gender orientation and go public with their status. Others also allegedly promoted and provided support for LGBTQI+ persons in the Muslim Community.
Sergeant Dogbatse assured that a thorough investigation will be done to ascertain the key issues. He also urged parents to be wary of the activities of their children and persons who may be involved in such LGBTQI+ and other unlawful activities.
From Fred Duodu, Ho (k.duodu@yahoo.com)