The Accra High Court (Criminal Division) yesterday gave the green light to organisers of Arise Ghana to go ahead with its intended demonstration today.
The court, presided over by Justice Comfort Tasiame, however, ordered that the demonstration should start from 8am-4pm instead of the intended 3pm-10pm beginning June 28-29.
The court also make consequential orders to the effect that the demonstrators should converge at the Obra Spot near Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and end at the Independence Square, rather than the original plan of picketing in front of the Jubilee House, the seat of government.
Appearing before Justice Tasiame, Deputy Superintendent of the Ghana Police Service (DSP) Sylvester Asare, argued that terrorism in neighboring Togo was a cause of concern and that was the reason the police wanted the demonstration to end at 3pm.
He urged the court not to allow the demonstration to enter into the night because of security concerns.
Counsel for Arise Ghana, Mr Godwin EdudziTamekloe, said that the police failed to demonstrate how the terrorism in Togo, which took place in the afternoon could affect the demonstration in Ghana.
The organisers of Arise Ghana had had series of meetings with the Ghana Police Service on the time and venue of the demonstration.
There were disagreements as to the time and venue and as reason failed to prevail, the police filed a motion in court at the eleventh hour and asked the court to hold that the venue and time of the demonstration was inappropriate.
The organisers had said the demonstration was to register concerns over persistent fuel hikes, rising inflation, depreciation of the cedi against other international trading currencies, high cost of living, general insecurity and economic crisis.
The police said that it was not against the demonstration since it was the right of the organisers to demonstrate, but same must be done taken into consideration the safety of the demonstrators and others.
Meanwhile, some leading members of Arise Ghana, including Bernard Mornahand Sammy Gyamfi had stated on TV3 that they would go ahead with the demonstration as planned.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
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