The Minority in Parliament has strongly rebuked the Ghana Police Service for their handling of the arrest and the use of excessive force against the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protesters on Thursday, September 21.
The members of the NDC (National Democratic Congress) in Parliament maintain that the police’s actions are reprehensible and disgraceful, and should not be tolerated.
In a press release issued on Friday, September 22, and signed by their leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the caucus criticized the police for employing outdated and regressive policing tactics.
“The Minority in Parliament is outraged at and disappointed in the Ghana Police Service for unleashing a terror squad of police officers who on Thursday shamefully brutalised and arrested peaceful demonstrators in Accra.”
“It is shocking and unacceptable that in 2023 officers of the Ghana Police Service would resort to backward and archaic policing methods to counter peaceful protestors who were only manifesting their lawful and constitutionally guaranteed right,” excerpts of the release said.
Consequently, they have unequivocally condemned the police’s actions and called upon them to embrace modern policing techniques.
In their view, this incident will tarnish the reputation of the police force.
“We condemn in no uncertain terms the police officers’ ruthless and barbaric crackdown on the unarmed peaceful protestors. For a service that has been badly and widely criticised for its partisan policing methods in recent years and for which a parliamentary probe is currently ongoing, the 16th-century style of crackdown and terror unleashed by them on the peaceful protesters in Accra yesterday further dims the reputation of the Ghana Police Service.”
“Even more shocking is the fact the heinous and highhandedness of the police is inconsistent with its motto of service with integrity.”
