The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour has called on the Government, especially the security agencies and the court to release protesters of the galamsey fight with immediate effect.
He made the call in the presence of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo at the 28th GJA Awards held at the Conference Centre on Saturday, September 28,2024.
Thirty-nine (39) members of the Democracy Hub have been remanded.
The charges against the protestors included conspiracy to commit a crime, unlawful assembly, causing unlawful damage, offensive conduct conducive to a breach of peace, assault on a public officer, and defacement of public property.
They are to reappear in court on October 8, 2024.
28 of the protestors have been remanded into police custody and pleaded not guilty, while the pleas of the 11 in prison custody are yet to be taken.
The lawyer for the 11 asked the court for an adjournment to study the charges as the charge sheet was presented to them when they were in court.
The group embarked on a three-day protest against illegal mining, popularly known as Galamsey. However, some members of the group clashed with police while the convenor Oliver Barker Vormawor allegedly fled with police car keys.
Speaking at the programme, Mr Dwumfour commended the Police for exhibiting high sense of professionalim in the face of provocation during the demonstration.
He observed the excesses that occured during the protest and condemned it totally.
However, he said the remand of the protesters does not send positive signals about the country when it comes to protecting human rights.
He, therefore, added the GJA’s voice to those who are calling for the release of the protesters immediately.
Meanwhile, he reminded the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo that he said he would put his presidency on the line to fight galamsey, telling him that his promise is yet to be fulfilled.
Mr Dwumfour, therefore, called on the president to declare a state of emergency over all water bodies and halt all mining activities and put in proper measures to ensure the water bodies and the forests are back to its normalcy.
Ghana l Atinkaonline.com l Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
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