The police has refuted claims that a 68-year old woman was arrested with a minor as well as a pregnant woman during the Democracy Hub protest on Sunday, September 22, 2024.
The police says the allegations which have since gone viral on social media are meant to mislead the public and also cause disaffection for the police.
A Thursday, September 26, 2024 statement issued by the Police asked the public to deny the allegations, calling on the public to treat them with the contempt they deserve.
“We want to state unequivocally that no pregnant woman or elderly lady with a child was arrested during the demonstration. These rumours are false and are intended to cause unnecessary panic and stir distrust in the Police Service,” portions of the statement indicated.
“Following the arrests, 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. We, therefore, urge the public to disregard these reports and treat them with the contempt they deserve,” the Police said.
They added that “In the case of the 12-year-old child and the 68-year-old woman, in the course of the arrest, Police realized that one of the suspects, Grace Asantewaa, a 50-year- old woman, who is being reported 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 Police Service said it has charged Grace Asantewaa with the offence of exposing a child to danger, by bringing her to the demonstration grounds, contrary to section 71 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
The police also said the descriptions being circulated on social media with regards to the arrests of some of the protestors were not the actual representation of the facts leading to the apprehension of those who breached the terms of the demonstration.
“We urge the public to be responsible in sharing information, especially on social media. False information such as this can cause unnecessary fear and disrupt public order.
“We want to reiterate that all arrests made were within the confines of the law and in response to clear violations of the agreed terms of the protest,” the statement added.
The Service urged the public to remain confident in it as it will employ professionalism and protection of citizens’ rights in dealing with the public.
“Throughout the demonstration, our officers acted with the highest level of professionalism, and no unlawful arrests were made. We remain committed to upholding the rights of demonstrators while also ensuring that public order is maintained,” the statement stressed.
The Police concluded by cautioning the public against spreading unverified information, which could seriously affect public safety and law enforcement efforts.
“We implore the public to fact-check information before sharing it. Sensational and unverified claims like this only serve to undermine the efforts of the Police in maintaining peace and security.”
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