General News of Saturday, 30 December 2017
Source: citifmonline.com
2017-12-30
Bernard Mornah (in a black havana hat) led his group to stage another rally
The Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and Convener of the Ghana-Togo Solidarity movement, Bernard Mornah, has led his group to stage another rally in Accra to draw the attention of local and international authorities to the political crisis in Togo.
About 19 persons including Mr. Mornah were arrested by the Nima Police for their initial attempt to stage the rally earlier in December.
According to the Police, they had earlier permitted Bernard Mornah and his group to undertake the march, however, they informed him later to cancel it due to operational challenges and intelligence that another group was trying to interrupt their activity.
But Mr. Mornah denied the claim, saying that he assured the Police the peaceful march required very little police presence.
The PNC Chairman had vowed to organise another rally, notifying the Police of the group’s intention as required by law, which they had also done prior to their previous attempt.
“As we speak today there are possessions that are going on in Togo. As we speak there is a rally that is going on in Burkina Faso there are rallies going on in Nigeria. All we are doing across the continent is to show country support for the people of Togo who are suffering for enhanced freedom,” Bernard Mornah said in an interview with Citi News after the event.
“For those who have said, that it is that it is Togo, come and talk about Ghana matter and forget about Togo, they have forgotten that if there is fire at your neighbor’s house and you do not go to help to quench it, that same fire can be taken to your own home and you may also not be able to contain it and your neighbor will also sit down, so I see Togolese as part and parcel of Ghana and it important that we show that the Ghanaian people are not opposed to the struggling people of Togo’’ he said.
‘Like a cow for slaughter’
The actions of the group came under the spotlight after the police detained several of its members during its initial rally in Accra.
Bernard Mornah, narrating his ordeal at the hands of the Police when he was arrested after the first rally, said he had been bundled into a police vehicle and told that he “would be shot” if he attempted to make a call on his mobile phone.
He described his treatment as that of a cow being sent to slaughter, adding that the police had treated him worse than how some notorious drug lords had been treated when they were detained.
“They just caught me like a cow, threw me in the bucket of the pickup as if I’m for the slaughterhouse. Two policemen jumped into the car with their guns on my head. When I pulled out my phone to call my lawyer, they said put off your phone or we’ll shoot you,” he said.
“They turned on their sirens, came onto the Kanda Highway and meandered through traffic with all motorists’ eyes on me. Escobar, the notorious drug baron, was not even treated the way I was treated.”
When asked whether he was armed, Bernard Mornah responded: “I didn’t even have a car key on me.”
Police to face the law
Bernard Mornah and those arrested were kept behind the Police counter for hours without clarification about their exact offence.
This prompted his counsel, Dr. Raymond Atuguba to write to the police, Chief Justice, Attorney General and the President over the matter, demanding details about the arrest.
Bernard Mornah was however granted bail later.
He has since told Citi News that his lawyers will serve the Police notice of a legal action for the ‘unlawful’ arrest.
