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A pressure group, Arise Ghana has filed a suit at the Court of Appeals to set aside a ruling by the High Court on their intended demonstration.
The Accra High Court on Monday ruled that the protest by Arise Ghana on June 28 and 29 can only be staged between the hours of 8 am to 4 pm.
The court additionally directed that the protest should commence at the Obra Spot here in Accra and end at the Independence Square.
But the Group is unsatisfied with the ruling of the High Court.
In a suit filed by the Group sighted by myjoyonline.com, Arise Ghana is seeking an “order reversing the ruling of the High Court.”
The Service filed the case seeking to halt the two-day protest set to commence on Tuesday.
This was after it alleged in a statement that the group, Arise Ghana, had refused to begin and end the demonstration before nightfall.
The group, however, contends it reached an agreement with the Police and is therefore surprised at the turn of events.
DSP Sylvester Asare urged the court to adjourn the matter since the Police Service had yet to receive documents filed by the protestors. He asked for a two-day adjournment.
But the lawyer for the protestors, Godwin Tameklo accused the Police of bad faith; adding that the protest was to take place on Tuesday.
He told the court that granting an adjournment will effectively mean putting the protest on hold. The group, he continued, informed the Police of the demonstration as far back as June 2.
The Court presided over by Justice Comfort Tasiame adjourned proceedings to 11:30 am to enable the Police to study the documents.
At 11:30 am on Monday, DSP Asare once again asked for an adjournment. He explained that the Police needed more time to study the documents.
On his part, Mr. Tameklo urged the court to dismiss the application, arguing that granting this request will empower the Police to use such processes to frustrate the rights of citizens to protest.
Justice Comfort Tasiame subsequently dismissed the request by the Police and directed that lawyers for the Service justify why the protest should be halted.
DSP Asare then told the court, the proposed timelines as put forward by the protestors have the potential to affect effective policing.
He explained that it is on this basis that the Police was asking for a restraining order. Lawyer for Arise Ghana, Godwin Tameklo disagreed.
He insisted the Police have no power under the law to determine at which time a protest should take place.
He accused the Police yet again of acting in bad faith and going against its arrangement with the group. He said the organizers had initially wanted to stage a 48hour non-stop protest but later conceded to end at 3pm and 5pm on day one and two respectively.
The Court presided over by Justice Tasiame decided to grant the request by the Police partially by fixing the said timelines and routes.
Source: myJoy
