KEY POINTS
- Police refute claims of forcing protesters to re-enact the demonstration.
- Accused individuals were informed of their legal rights, including the right to have legal representation.
- Some accused participated voluntarily, while others are waiting for their lawyers.
Claims that suspected participants in the Democracy Hub protest were coerced into reenacting their actions at the 37 crossroads have been categorically denied by the Ghana Police Service.
The accused’s attorneys’ claims, which went viral on social media, claimed that the police forced their clients to take part in a demonstration reenactment. In a statement, the police clarified their actions and rejected these allegations as unfounded.
Police Defend Standard Procedure
The police claim that the crime scene reconstruction process is a common investigation method utilized throughout the world and has long been a part of their established protocols.
“Crime scene reconstruction, as part of an investigation, is a standard practice used by law enforcement agencies worldwide,” the statement read. According to Graphic Online, the police further noted that this practice has been implemented by the Ghana Police Service for many years.
The investigators who performed the reconstruction are familiar to the accused and were a member of the initial investigative team, the statement continued. The statement denied any allegations that the accused did not know the officers, stating that “the police detectives who conducted the crime scene reconstruction have been working on this case since its inception.”
Legal Representation During the Process
The accused were thoroughly advised of their legal rights, including the opportunity to have legal counsel present during the reconstruction, the police stressed.
“In accordance with standard procedures, the accused persons were informed of their right to have legal representation during the crime scene reconstruction process,” the statement stated.
It was also made clear that some of the accused willingly took part in the reconstruction without legal representation, while others chose to hold off until they had legal representation. The reconstruction process is still ongoing for those who opted to have their attorneys present until they are available.
Police Urge Public to Ignore Falsehoods
The police also denounced what they called a disinformation effort by the Democracy Hub demonstration organizers.
The statement states that there have been multiple attempts to damage the police’s reputation, including unfounded allegations that a pregnant woman and a 12-year-old child were taken into custody during the demonstration.
The statement said, “We see this as part of ongoing efforts by protest organizers to mislead the public and sow discontent with the police.”
The police assured the public that all activities were legal and asked them to ignore these assertions. They reaffirmed that none of the defendants were threatened or forced to take part in the reconstruction of the crime scene.
