‘Unseen hands’ manipulating Police against us – LMVCA

The Convener for the pro-opposition group, Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA), David Asante, has accused the Police of allowing themselves to be manipulated by political actors, to frustrate their attempts to picket at the offices of the Electoral Commission (EC).

The Police on Monday secured another exparte injunction at an Accra Circuit Court to stop the group from picketing at the EC today [Tuesday].

This was after an earlier injunction sought by the police had elapsed its 10-day lawful existence, and consequently paved the way for the group to go ahead with their intended protest.

[contextly_sidebar id=”shyYVqQxW4ruAxJbriUXwj51DVkURDD0″]Speaking on Eyewitness News on the latest development, David Asante said inasmuch as the group will abide by the latest court ruling, it appears the police is being manipulated.

He buttressed his point with the explanation that, the judge who ruled in their favour early on in the day, was replaced with a new judge later in the day to grant the police a restraining order.

“The beauty of democracy is at play here. We are not really disturbed; when the court ruled in our favour, we said democracy had won. So if the same has been done for the police, democracy has still won. What we rather find shocking is the fact that, in the ruling of Justice Esandoh who sat on the matter earlier this day, he was emphatic that it was inappropriate for the police to on the blind side of the demonstrators, secure an exparte injunction; and he insisted that it will not be fair and proper for his court again to go ahead and issue such an injunction if the police comes back through the back door. It is interesting to realize that it is not the same judge who gave the new restraining order. What is the police being manipulated to achieve? It is a big question Ghanaians are interested”.

David Asante says they will also consult with their lawyers on their next line of action.

“We will abide by the court order because we are law abiding citizens. We will hold a news conference tomorrow (Tuesday) to outline a series of frustrations we’ve gone through in the hands of the police in the last one month in our attempt to hold this demonstration. We are really baffled”.

“From the very beginning of this whole demonstration, the series of encounters we’ve had with the police; everything points to the direction that there is a grand calculated and premeditated attempt on the part of the police to frustrate the Ghanaian demonstrator. We are yet to be served officially and once we receive it we will speak to our lawyers for the next line of action. We are not going to engage in any confrontation with the police. Our focus is on a new register for which we want to present a petition to the EC” he noted.
–
By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana