#OccupyBoG demo to proceed on Oct. 3 over failure of police to serve Ato Forson with injunction

The #OccupyBoG (Bank of Ghana) demonstration intended to demand the resignation of the governor Dr. Ernest Addison and his deputies over the central bank’s record of Ghc60 billion loss in the 2022 financial year will proceed as scheduled on October 3, 2023.

This was after the Police failed to properly effect service of the injunction application on the Respondents.

The minority in Parliament led by Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Arise Ghana’s Bernard Mornah, Rex Omar and Masawudu Mohammed are the Respondents in the matter

On Tuesday, September 26, the Police accused the minority of evading service and requested for one more attempt to have them served.

In Court on Friday, September 29, Principal State Attorney, George Tetteh Sackey, initially, told the court that, they have succeeded in serving the processes on the Respondents (Dr Ato Forson, minority leader in Parliament, Bernard Mornah, Rex Omar and Masawudu Mohammed.

He showed proof of service including that of Ato Forson servied on the Clerk of Parliament.

But, the Financial Division of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Edward Twum said, there was no proof of service on the Respondents on the Court docket.

It came to lights that, though three of the Respondents were served, that of Ato Forson, served on the Clerk of Parliament but per a letter from Parliament the process was deemed not to have been properly served on him.

Per a letter from Parliament to the court, the Clerk indicated that, Parliament is on recess and sitting was adjourned sine die, meaning Ato Forson was not accessible.

Justice Edward Twum, the vacation judge, said the effect of that means that, the Respondents have not been properly served for the court to deal with the matter.

Justice Twum said, the court has a procedure in serving processes and if the service has not been properly effected, the court cannot proceed.

The Court also pointed out some Constitutional provisions and the recent directive from the Chief Justice to Registrars on allocation of dates for processes.

Superintendent Sylvester Asare from the Police Legal Directorate told the Court that, per the revise route, the parties have an agreement except where the protesters will make a u-turn at the Kwame Nkrumah Museum.

EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, who was in Court reports that, the police waived the rights to withdraw the application as the PSA indicated to the court that they will rather seek an adjournment and consult with their leadership.

The case has been adjourned to October 11, 2023, eight clear days after the date for the intended demonstration scheduled for Tuesday, October 3, 2023.

The Minority caucus in Parliament on September 11, 2023 postponed its planned protest to occupy the premises of the Bank of Ghana.

The intended protest is to demand the resignation of the governor Dr. Ernest Addison and his deputies over the central bank’s record of Ghc60 billion loss in the 2022 financial year.

For the second time after September 4, the minority in statement issued disclosed that the protest will now be held on October 3, 2023.

The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga,….”We have agreed on the routes and we are telling them that we will terminate at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum.”