Police refute claims of forcing accused persons to re-enact protest

The Ghana Police Service have today issued a statement refuting claims that they forced accused persons to re-enact protest at 37 Intersection.

According to the Police, it has taken notice of a statement allegedly issued by the lawyers of the accused persons standing trial or their conduct during the democracy hub demonstration, claiming that the Police forced their clients to re-enact the protest at the 37 Intersection.

Dismissing the claims, the Police noted that crime scene reconstruction, as part of an investigation, is a standard practice used by law enforcement agencies worldwide and is in full compliance with our established procedures.

According to them, the Ghana Police Service has been using this practice since time immemorial, adding that the Police detectives who conducted the crime scene reconstruction are part of the officers who have been working on the investigation since the inception of this case.

They revealed that the claims that they are not known to the accused persons are, therefore, not true.

“In accordance with standard procedures, the accused persons were Informed of their right to have legal representation during the crime scene reconstruction process.

Some of the accused persons opted to take part in the crime scene reconstruction process without their lawyers’ presence,” the statement indicated.

It added that other accused persons, however, insisted on their right to their lawyers and the reconstruction process for these persons is yet to be done.

“ It is, therefore, untrue, that the accused persons were coerced or threatened with harm, to take part in the crime scene reconstruction,” they added.

The statement concluded “As the public may recall, several attempts have been made since this incident, to feed the public with falsehood, including the arrest of a 12-year-old child and a pregnant woman, all in the bid to create disaffection towards the Police. We see this one, as one of such attempts, and we urge the public to disregard it.”

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

Read the statement below