The Minority in Parliament has declined invitation from the Accra Regional Police Command to have a meeting ahead of it September 12th #OccuyBOG Protest.
In a press release signed by its leader, Honorable Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority said it is unable to attend the meeting which was scheduled today due to the short notice the Police gave them.
“We regret to inform you that we are unable to honor your invitation today as requested due to the short notice. As we speak, leadership of the Caucus is attending to some pressing issues in our various constituencies towards the upcoming limited registrations exercise.”
Minority in Parliament
The Minority Leader further indicated that they are very much aware that the proposed route for its protest march is what has recently become the subject of a pending suit at the Accra High Courts between them and the Ghana Police Service which have been adjourned to Friday, 8th September 2023.
He therefore proposed to the Ghana Police Service that the meeting be held after court proceedings on Friday, 8th September, 2023.
Minority Postpones Its #OccupyBOG Protest
The Minority, yesterday in a press release signed by its Leader, Honorable Cassiel Ato Forson postponed its #OccupyBOG Protest, which was scheduled to come off Tuesday, 5th September 2023 to Tuesday, 12th September 2023. According to the release, the date changes resulted due to the outcome of the proceedings in courts yesterday, 4th September on the injunction application filed by the Ghana Police Service to prohibit its #OccupyBOG protest.
“The court is unable to give an instant ruling due to the weight of the preliminary legal objections raised by the lawyers for the Minority in Parliament and requested the indulgence of the Minority to give its ruling on Friday 8th September 2023”,
Minority in Parliament
Due to the disagreement between the Minority and the Ghana Police Service on the route to be used for the protest, the Accra Regional Police Command filed an application to injunct the protest at the Accra High Court
According to the police, going along that route could disrupt public order, safety, and the provision of important services because the area where the Minority intends to have their protest is frequently overrun with people and vehicles. The minority has rejected the police’s alternative route, which would have started at Parliament House and ended at Independence Square via the Osu Cemetery Traffic Light.
However, the MPs made it clear in court on Friday that the police had no jurisdiction to suggest alternate routes for the gathering, under the direction of Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, the NDC’s Director of Legal Affairs. Only the Attorney General has the power to bring such lawsuits, according to Lawyer Tamakloe, citing both Article 88(5) of the 1992 Constitution and the State Proceedings Act.
The Greater Accra Regional Police Command’s request for an injunction will now be decided by the court on Friday, September 8, 2023.
It is recalled that the Minority in Parliament declared in August that it would have a protest march to call for the resignation of the Governor of the Central Bank, Dr Ernest Addisson and his two deputies to express its revulsion towards what they described as the gross mismanagement of the Central Bank by the Governor and his two deputies which has resulted into a monumental loss of GHS 60.8 billion and negative equity of GHS55.1billion as well the illegal printing of over GHS80 billion and the construction of the Central Bank headquarters at a cost of over $250 million amidst Ghana’s ailing economy when the Public Procurement Authority had initially recommended $81 million.
The Minority leader has lamented that about 850,000 people and Businesses have been negatively impacted due to the singular act of the Bank of Ghana.
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