The police Administration has denied reports that its officers arrested and detained a pregnant woman, Gloria Vera Louise, after taking part in the Democracy Hub demonstration.
In a statement issued last night, the police said though the lady was indeed arrested, she is not pregnant as is being claimed.
According to the police statement, following the accusations being made against them, they decided to verify it by sending Louisa to the Police Hospital in Accra and a private health facility for medical examination.
The statement said the reports issued by both health facilities indicated that the lady is not pregnant.
The police again denied arresting a 12 year old boy and a 68 year old woman and detaining them.
According to the security agency, in the course arresting violent demonstrators, the Police realised that one of the suspects, Grace Asantewaa, a 50 year old woman, who is being paraded by the organisers as a 68-year old, had a child with her.
In order not to separate the child from the woman, the child was allowed to accompany her to the Police Station.
At the Police Station, the Police provided the child with food and for the sake of the child, her guardian, Grace Asantewaa, was granted a Police enquiry bail and allowed to go home with the child.
The police statement said they have since charged Grace Asantewaa for the offence of exposing the child to danger, for bringing her to the demonstration grounds, contrary to section 71 of the Criminal Offences Act;1960 (Act 29).
The following is the full statement issued by the police;
POLICE UPDATE SEVEN (7) ON DEMOCRACY HUB DEMONSTRATION
As the public may recall, the Police on 9th July, 2024 received a notice from the Democracy Hub, of their intention to hold a protest from 21st to 23rd September 2024, at the Revolutionary Square in front of the Jubilee House.
On receipt of the notice from the group, the Police engaged the Conveners and agreed with them on the chosen date of the demonstration, but advised them to change their chosen venue, the Revolutionary Square, for the demonstration, which was considered a security zone and likely to affect public defence, public order, public safety, public health and the running of essential services.
However, the Organisers refused to consider an alternative location and insisted on picketing at the Revolutionary Square. The Police was, therefore, compelled to take the matter to the court for a determination as to the venue. For purposes of emphasis, the Police was not in court to prevent them from demonstrating on the stated dates.
The High Court on 18th September 2024, granted an order to prohibit Democracy Hub from using the Revolutionary Square as the venue for their intended demonstration.
The Police subsequently met with the organisers and urged them to accept seven venues proposed by the Police.
Unfortunately, despite Police efforts to facilitate their constitutional right to demonstrate, the organisers remained adamant and insisted that they will disobey the order of the courts and picket at the Revolutionary Square, in front of the Jubilee House.
On 21st September 2024, the demonstrators unlawfully assembled at the 37 Interchange and engaged in the following acts, among others, which caused extreme inconvenience to the general public, particularly the motoring public.
* Blocking the intersection in all directions with vehicles, stones and logs, causing massive vehicular traffic across the City.
* Setting fire in the Intersection
* Harassing and attacking road users, including Military and Police officers.
* Abusing Police and Military officers
* Banging on vehicles
* Playing football on the road and
*Causing unlawful damage
These unGhanaian, uncivil and unlawful acts of the demonstrators caused extreme inconvenience to commuters who were caught in traffic for several hours, persons in need of medical care had difficulty reaching the medical facilities, families visiting their loved ones who are on admission at the hospital had difficulty getting to them with essential supplies.
There were also delays for people attending social and cultural activities such as funerals, which define us as a people and there was a negative impact on commercial activities, including people missing their flights and others not being able to access their businesses.
Following an assessment of the situation at the end of the first day, the Police cautioned the organisers that the Police will not allow them to demonstrate at the 37 Intersection, but should move the demonstration to any of the seven locations the Police proposed to them, to be able to provide the necessary security.
The demonstrators disregarded the caution by the Police and unlawfully assembled once again at the 37 Intersection the following day, and began to repeat the previous day’s actions.
While the Police were persuasively and professionally engaging them to leave the street to restore normal traffic flow, the demonstrators attacked the Police, with one of them going into a Police vehicle, removing the ignition key and running away with it, while others were throwing Police barriers at the Police, among others.
The Police had no option than to arrest them. In all, 54 persons were arrested and all of them have been put before the court, in line with the due process of the law. The case is being prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney-General.
Following the arrest, the attention of the Ghana Police Service has been drawn to reports suggesting that a 12-year-old child, a 68-year-old woman and a pregnant woman were among those arrested and detained. We would like to categorically state that all these are false and they are calculated attempt by the organisers to court public sympathy.
We, therefore, urge the public to disregard these reports and treat them with the contempt it deserves.
In the case of the 12-year old child and the 68-year old woman, in the course of the arrest, Police realised that one of the suspects, Grace Asantewaa, a 50 year old woman, who is being paraded by the organisers as a 68-year old, had a child with her.
In order not to separate the child from the woman, the child was allowed to accompany her to the Police Station.
At the Police Station, Police provided the child with food and for the sake of the child, her guardian, Grace Asantewaa, was granted a Police enquiry bail and allowed to go home with the child.
The Ghana Police Service has charged Grace Asantewaa for the offence of exposing the child to danger, for bringing her to the demonstration grounds, contrary to section 71 of the Criminal Offences Act;1960 (Act 29).
In the case of the alleged pregnant woman, Gloria Vera Louise, We would like to clarify that at the time of the arrest, there was no visible indication that she was pregnant.
Additionally, at no point during the arrest or subsequent interactions did they said suspect inform the Police of a pregnancy.
Again, there was no communication to the court of any such condition, either by herself or through her lawyers.
In order to establish the veracity or otherwise of the claim out there, of the alleged pregnancy, the Police took the initiative and sent her to the Police Hospital and an independent health facility for a thorough medical examination.
Both medical results came out negative, suggesting that Gloria Vera Louise is not pregnant, as claimed.
