Pressure group, #FixTheCountry Movement, has called on the Ghana Police Service to exemplify integrity in dispensing its duties to the country.
Contained in a statement dated, March 17, 2022, the group revealed that its attention has been drawn to a statement issued by the Police which denied the “intentional action” taken by the Service in its bid to frustrate the processing of the bail application by the family and legal team of Oliver Barker-Vormawor. The Movement indicated that the Police Service deliberately delayed processing the bail granted by the Tema High Court to its convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, on Wednesday, March 16, 2022.
The Movement expressed that the police misled the public with its statement by claiming it had returned Oliver to the Police station to await completion of his bail processes.
“We note also that the statement does not deny categorical statements made to Oliver in the presence of several #FixTheCountry activists that the Police have no intention of releasing Oliver yesterday, and that they were waiting for instructions from the IGP who the complainant in the case is, whether to charge Oliver with a new offence… Ghana Police should strive to serve us with Integrity and not disingenuity”.
#FixTheCountry
The Movement revealed that “as of 1PM yesterday, formal processes pertaining to the bail had already been concluded with eminent professors who had come to stand surety for Oliver”. The group explained that although the Court registry closes at 3pm, the Registrar had agreed with the convener’s lawyers to wait until 5pm to ensure the process was completed. Yet, it intimated that the Police refused to send Oliver back to the court to enable him sign the document.
“This prompted Oliver to demand to be sent back to his cell and to commence his hunger strike. Oliver also indicated to the police that he will no longer receive any visitors, including family or lawyers until the Police begin to show some respect for our democracy by acting as an institution guided by law”.
#FixTheCountry
Validation of Land document
According to the #FixTheCountry Movement, the Police, led by the Tema Regional Commander, tried to “save face” by taking Oliver to the court premises after news of the court happenings broke out in the media. The statement noted that the police made its way to the Registrar’s to validate the land documents, despite being informed prior to setting off that the Registrar had left the court.
“At the Court, they summoned the Registrar to return to work claiming to be working on the orders of the IGP. In our presence, they told the Registrar to write a letter directed to the Lands Commission under the pretext that he was verifying the documents”.
#FixTheCountry
At this point, the group stated that the Registrar informed them that the process could take anywhere between three days to a month. As a consequent, the Movement bemoaned the fact that with the advancement of technology, “Ghanaians still must throng to the Lands Commission to validate land documents…”
Following this, the Movement grieved over the apparent “calculated attempts” by the Police Service to use administrative processes to frustrate the order of the Court and undermine Oliver’s right to liberty. It further reminded the police that its days of issuing statements to back their “wanton abuse of executive power” is over.
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