The Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has formally referred a duplicate case docket involving Minority Leader, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, to the Attorney-General for study and advice following an alleged assault on a police officer during the “Save The Judiciary” demonstration earlier this year.
The case, which has generated significant legal and political interest, stems from a confrontation between demonstrators and police officers on May 5, 2025, which was captured on video and circulated widely.
In a letter referenced CID/AR.197/2025/2 and addressed to the Attorney-General, the CID explained that the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) docket, marked R.O. No. 129/2025, had been prepared after extensive investigations into the incident.
The letter, signed by Deputy Superintendent Justice Oppong on behalf of the Director-General of the CID, outlines a detailed chronology of events, including how the incident came to the attention of the police and the steps taken to verify the facts.
According to the police, the incident unfolded at approximately 1700 hours on May 5, 2025, when Cyber Intelligence Operatives received a 1-minute, 13-second video clip from the Police Public Affairs Directorate.
The footage, which bore the official watermark of the Ghana Police Service, showed a clash between demonstrators and officers deployed to maintain order at the protest.
The altercation reportedly began when officers attempted to enforce a restricted boundary using a metal barricade, prompting resistance from some of the demonstrators.
A Significant Moment
The video captured what investigators described as a significant moment: Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who was among the demonstrators, striking a police officer identified as No. 48632 G/Cpl. Forson Abel of the Tesano District.
The police said that this visual evidence formed the basis for the immediate referral of the matter to the SIU for full-scale investigations.
The following day, May 6, 2025, G/Cpl. Forson Abel officially reported the alleged assault at the Tesano Police Station. He later appeared at the CID Headquarters with an endorsed police medical form and an extract from the station’s occurrence book.
In his statement to investigators, he recounted that he had been assaulted by the Minority Leader during the demonstration. His report was supported by written statements from senior officers who were present at the scene, including Supt. Isane Ocansey, ASP Sulemana-Jallo Abdulalai of the Greater Accra Regional Police Headquarters, and ASP Nicholas Mensah of the Achimota District.
According to the CID, these officers stated that they saw Hon. Afenyo-Markin strike G/Cpl. Forson Abel “in the face without any provocation.” However, according to the CID, the matter took a more complex turn when the Minority Leader filed a counter-complaint, disclosing that in a petition dated the same day as the incident, May 5, 2025, Hon. Afenyo-Markin alleged that he, rather than the police officer, had been assaulted.
His petition prompted investigators to broaden their inquiry and reconstruct the scene of the altercation. On May 8, 2025, a joint investigative team comprising personnel from the Special Investigation Unit, Crime Scene Management, and the Cybercrime Unit visited the scene in front of the Accra International Conference Centre.
During the reconstruction, police identified two CCTV cameras that they believed might have captured the altercation. A formal request was made to the National Security Secretariat to release any available footage.
According to the CID, the National Signals Bureau later provided video recordings from the identified cameras, but the footage did not capture the alleged assault.
The absence of corroborating video from the CCTV cameras meant that investigators relied heavily on the initial video forwarded by the Police Public Affairs Department.
Minority Leader’s Cautioned
After analyzing this footage on May 9, 2025, the police proceeded to caution Hon. Afenyo-Markin, in accordance with procedure, in the presence of an independent witness. He was subsequently released on self-recognizance bail.
The police also issued the Minority Leader a medical form to undergo examination and submit a report. However, according to the CID’s account, he failed to return the completed medical report despite several follow-up calls.
Meanwhile, investigators also obtained witness statements from Hon. Sammy Awuku and Mr. Richard Ahiagbah, who were observed in the initial video standing close to Afenyo-Markin during the altercation.
With the interviews, video analysis, and scene reconstruction completed, the SIU compiled its findings into a duplicate docket, which has now been submitted to the Attorney-General’s office.
The CID has asked the Attorney-General to study the docket and provide direction on the appropriate next steps, particularly given the sensitive nature of the case and the high-profile individuals involved.
The submission of the docket marks a critical stage in the legal process and places the responsibility on the Attorney-General to determine whether the evidence warrants prosecution or further action.
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