Arise Ghana Demonstration: Bernard Mornah Claims Police Infiltrated Protesters By Wearing Branded T-Shirts
- Bernard Mornah, one of the leaders of the demonstrations on Tuesday, has said police did not conduct themselves professionally
- Mr Mornah said despite the IGP's assurances that his men will be professional, it appears some top officers took instructions from another authority
- The leading member of Arise Ghana, conveners of the protest, said President Nana Akufo-Addo has infiltrated the police service with violence
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One of the leaders of Tuesday's demonstrations convened by the youth group, Arise Ghana, has alleged that police officers in red T-shirts infiltrated their ranks.
Source: UGC
Bernard Mornah said that action by the officers and others eventually led to chaos at Kwame Nkrumah Circle. In explaining why the peaceful demonstration suddenly turned violent, he blamed President Nana Akufo-Addo.
"I am scandalised that President Akufo-Addo will allow his violence to infest the Ghana Police Service in the magnitude that it happened [on Tuesday]. We've always known President Akufo-Addo as a violent person, he has demonstrated this by the many attacks that he has launched on even media persons in this country through his agents and assigns as he used the Ghana Police Service to achieve today," told Joy News.
His comments follow a clash between protesters and police officers during the June 28 demonstration to protest economic hardship and other matters.
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Police alleged that their men were injured by stone-pelting demonstrators without cause, forcing them to fire teargas to disperse the protesters.
Source: Facebook
But speaking to Joy News after the chaos, Mr Mornah, a former Chairman of the People National Convention (PNC), said he thinks someone other than the IGP Dr George Akuffo Dampare was giving instructions to top police chiefs during the protest.
"Some of the police officials were wearing clothes like this (pointing to the Arise Ghana red shirts). I didn't know they were police officers. So, when I said, 'please go back so that these officers can go up with us'. They told me right in front of the police…that they are police officers and they are protecting their bosses and pointed to [COP Christian Tetteh] Yohuno and those who were standing there. Police officers wearing Arise Ghana T-shirts?" he was surprised.
Bernard Monah said after a brief meeting with COP Yohuno to discuss the protest route, the police chief placed a call and, without explanation, declared the route inappropriate.
"I said 'oh so whilst you're here you're taking instructions? Okay if it will not work, we have nothing to do, we are going'. So, we got down and we moved everybody into the amusement garden [at Kwame Nkrumah Circle] and we started addressing them [protesters]," he said.
He said after that encounter with COP Yohuno, police barricaded the street resulting in the confusion that ensued.
Police have said they fired teargas, rubber bullets, and hot water in response to attacks by the protesters.
Police Share Photos Of Its Officers Allegedly Attacked, Injured By Protesters
YEN.com.gh reported in a separate story that police have published photos to show that some of its officers have been attacked by stone-pelting Arise Ghana demonstrators on Tuesday.
Photos shared on Twitter show one officer injured allegedly by stone-pelting demonstrators. Police tweeted that the attacks on their personnel were shameful.
“Attack on Police in the Ongoing Arise Ghana Demonstration What a shame, we were there to protect you and ensure your safety, but you throw stones at us, injure and hurt us. This behaviour is unacceptable and must be condemned,” police said.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
