The Ghana Police Service through the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has secured a High Court order to restrain the Alliance for Social Equity and Accountability (ASEPA) and its executive secretary, Mensah Thompson, from going ahead with their protest march today against the controversial Agyapa Royalties agreement.
According to the court, presided over by Justice Emmanuel K. Mensah, the decision was arrived at after scrutinizing the affidavit presented by the police and the response submitted by the counsel of the plaintiff on the ex-parte motion filed on the matter.
“Upon reading the affidavit of ACP Kwesi Ofori, Director for Operations, Greater Accra Police Command, Accra, filed on the 17 day of September, 2020 in support of motion ex-party for an order to prohibit the holding of an intended demonstration against an agreement passed by parliament of Ghana popularly known as ‘Agyapa’ agreement. It is hereby ordered that, the respondents herein namely Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability ‘ASEPA’ and Mensah Thompson or any other group of persons affiliated to the respondents are prohibited and restrained from demonstrating against an agreement passed by the Parliament of Ghana popularly known as Agyapa agreement which demonstration is intended for 21st September 2020 (sic),” the restraining order indicated.
It would be recalled that ASEPA, a group with leanings to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), had written to the police to allow it to protest the Agyapa deal that seeks to monetize Ghana’s gold royalties.
The police, in an earlier response to the group, indicated that the demand could not be granted due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its restrictions.
Although the police acknowledged receiving the letter, they said restrictions imposed on public gatherings of more than 200 people without face masks due to the Covid-19 pandemic is still in force, adding that ASEPA’s request to have 20,000 people to be gathered for the demonstration is impossible.
ASEPA Executive Secretary Mensah Thompson was reported to have indicated that the refusal of the police to sanction the protest would not in any way deter them from embarking on the exercise to register their displeasure against the deal.
“We sent a letter to the police and the police said they would not sanction the demonstration for us, but the demonstration is going to happen. It will take place because the very EI the police are citing to stop us from embarking on the demonstrating was in existence when some people demonstrated at Asamankese,” he said on ‘Okay FM’ in Accra.
“Just last week, people gathered and demonstrated at Asamankese over a Facebook post. They were allowed notwithstanding the existence of coronavirus. But when we say we are also doing the same to protect the nation’s resources you want to prevent us; that is not going to happen. On September 21 we are going to hit the streets of Accra, and we urge everyone to come and join us,” he stated.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey