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Police drags LMVCA to court today

The police is expected to put before court today thirteen members of the Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA).

LMVCA Protesters

The thirteen including Convener, David Asante and Ibrahim Adjei have been charged with two counts; obstructing the Police from doing their job and also breaching the Public Order Act during last month’s demonstration to drum home the need for a new voters’ register.

The exercise ended abruptly after demonstrators were tear-gassed and shot with rubber bullets by the police after having reportedly veered off from the approved route to picket at the Electoral Commission (EC).

A stalwart of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Okyere-Darko, who joined the protest march, was flogged with horse whips.

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Convener David Asante has told Joy News that they are innocent. He claims they have not acted in any bad fate from the onset of their protest.

“I’m very excited about the fact that from the very onset of our activities up to date, we have remained very focused, we have operated within the confines of the law, we have never acted in any lawless manner… We were brutally assaulted on the streets of Accra while we were embarking on that legitimate exercise and constitutionally acceptable practice that led to some young ones losing their eyes. And we are rather being taken to court to be charged with breaching the Public Order Act… I think the laws are there. Our lawyers will do a better job,” he said.

Meanwhile, President John Mahama has asked the police command to probe the incident. He has described the brutalities suffered by some demonstrators as terrible.

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“In rare instances namely when there is a credible threat to the officers of the law or to members of the public, the use of reasonable force by the police is justifiable. On such occasions the police are enjoined to strictly abide by the prescribed rules of engagement while ensuring the rights of citizens are not trampled upon. This is a terrible situation and one that should absolutely not have happened. Ghana is a nation of laws and a nation that respect the rule of law,” President Mahama said while addressing a grand durbar of chiefs and people of Asogli Traditional Area in Ho to climax their annual Yam Festival.

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