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The Inspector General of the Ghana Police Service, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has responded to the British High Commissioner to Ghana’s comments on the arrest of #fixthecountry convenor.
It would be recalled that Mr Oliver Barker-Vormawor was arrested on May 17, 2022 by the Police for a traffic related offence together with other offenders, for which he was arraigned before court and subsequently granted a GH₵30,000 bail after pleading not guilty to the charges.
This arrest comes after he was arrested and remanded for comments he made on social media which the Police administration found to be threatening to the security of the state –a case which is currently being heard by the court.
Reacting to the news of his recent arrest, the High Commissioner, Harriet Thompson, wrote on Twitter of her interest to see where the #fixthecountry convenor’s interdiction leads.
Oliver Barker Vormawor, convener of #FixTheCountry movement, arrested again, I understand for a motoring offence on his way to court. I’ll be interested to see where this goes… https://t.co/iK5hZDZUln
— Harriet Thompson (@HCThompson001) May 17, 2022
This comment by the Commissioner did not sit well with the Police administration who deemed it an attempt to undermine the law enforcement processes of the agency.
“Are we to understand that you are concerned about the law enforcement process in Ghana or only as applied to your person of interest?” Dr. George Akufo Dampare queried in a letter dated May 20, 2022.
“We are not oblivious of how, as a country, Britain reveres its army and continuously celebrates both serving and retired officers in the British Armed Forces. It might not be what you expect, but please be informed that as a country, Ghana similarly treasures its police service, Armed Forces and all other security agencies and we are anxious to build these institutions into strong and revered pillars of society that performs their duties excellently.
Below are the IGP’s 15 questions:
i. Are there instances in your country where people are permitted to openly threaten the security of the state with a coup?
ii. In instances where individuals have threatened the security of a state, does your criminal justice system celebrate such persons and urge them on to destabilise your country?
iii. As a Foreign Service officer, even though you might not have personal experience, you doubtless, have access to the records of the periods of unrest and coups in Ghana; are you really wishing on us, a return to those times?
iv. Are you able to direct us to instances in your country where citizens are permitted to insult, attack and incite your Army and other security apparatuses to destabilize the country?
v. Do people get arrested for traffic offences in your country?
vi. Is it the case that a person on his/her way to a British court cannot be pulled over for traffic offences or any other offences for that matter?
vii. Are you still persuaded, three days after your Tweet that you were within the bounds of the Vienna Convention which regulates the conduct of diplomats in the countries in which they serve?
viii. Should you get involved in the domestic/internal affairs, especially security issues of the sovereign state in which you are serving as a diplomat?
ix. Do you know of any instances where Ghanaian diplomats in Britain have involved themselves in your internal affairs?
X. Is there any particular reason why of all the people arrested daily for various offences in Ghana, you are especially interested in this person’s case?
xi. Is it the case that you don’t have confidence in our justice delivery, criminal justice system and our court processes as a whole?
xii. Do you know the number of Members of Parliament, Chief Executives and other high-profile Ghanaians who have been arrested and prosecuted for road traffic offences and have submitted themselves to due process? If you care to know, we will be delighted to share the list with you.
xiii. Have the legally and internationally accepted limits associated with freedom of speech and association been stretched to the point where people can now say and act without regard to the sanctity, security and the very survival of a country? When it comes to such matters, are there any limits in place in your country?
xiv. Are you interested in the number of lives lost to road accidents and the number of injured persons, as well as families who have become destitute as a result of such accidents, caused by the infractions of people like the person of interest to you?
Read in full the letter addressed to the British High Commissioner below:
