The National Chairman of the People’s National Convention, Bernard Mornah was yesterday granted GH¢20,000 police enquiry bail following an invitation from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
He is to report to any Police Regional Command he finds himself every week, the Public Relations Officer of the CID, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Juliana Obeng disclosed to the Ghanaian Times in Accra.
The invitation was over some pronouncements he allegedly made against the Electoral Commission (EC) which the police deemed to be a threat to the country’s peace and security.
In an invitation letter signed by Deputy Director-General of the CID, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Barima Tweneboah Sasraku II and sighted by Ghanaian Times, Mr Mornah had allegedly vowed to resist every attempt by the EC to compile a new voters’ register.
Earlier, in the company of some members of the Inter-Party Resistance against the New Voters Register, Mr Mornah marched to the police headquarters from the Ako Adjei Park in Osu where the group converged.
Clad in red and black attires amidst chants of “All die be die”, they displayed placards with various inscriptions including “Stop Manipulating the EC, Akufo-Addo,” “The EC Must Listen,” “Hands off Mornah,” “We won’t be Cowered,” “Free Speech is under Attack” and “Ghanaians be Bold and Brave.”
In an interview after his release, Mr Mornah said he was surprised by the invitation because his pronouncements carried no threat but rather a call on the EC to respect the country’s laws.
The comment, he said, did not undermine the country’s peace therefore felt no remorse making them and declined request to retract or apologise.
As a citizen, he stated that, it was his civic duty to fight for the freedom and liberties guaranteed all Ghanaians by the constitution saying that “no authority can stifle our freedom.”
“We will continue to speak and at all point in time correct the ills in our society which can erode the peace and stability of our nation. I told the police I stand by the statement I was alleged to have made,” he added.
He explained that the statement sought to notify the EC that its actions could plunge the country into chaos and a caution as well to them.
“We will continue to stand up for our rights as citizens of this nation just as our forefathers sacrificed their lives to win for us independence from colonialism,” Mr Mornah stated.
Director of Operations of the Accra Regional Police Command, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Akwasi Ofori, said, due to announced protocols on coronavirus (COVID-19), Mr Mornah and his counsel and a handful of his compatriots were allowed to enter the headquarters.
Although he described the actions of some of the protesters as chaotic, he said police adopted a strategy to calm tempers, protect live and property and allow free flow of human and vehicular traffic.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS
