Police arrest three GCFM protesters

Crime and punishment of Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Source: GNA

2020-09-23

Police arrested three members of the Gold Coast Aggravated Fund Management Coalition (GCFM) now Black Shield Capital Management, including its Secretary, when they attempted to petition the Official Liquidator.

The Police blocked the road in front of the General Registry Department, where the aggrieved clients gathered to present the petition to Mrs. Jemima Oware, Registrar General and also Official Liquidator.

Led by Deputy Police Commissioner Kwasi Ofori, the police dispersed the protesters with a light detector, arresting some in the process, while others fled.

ACP Ofori told the Ghana News Agency that the Coalition leadership did not notify the Police of the submission of their petition.

He said that it was the responsibility of all Ghanaians to respect the Public Order Act (ACT 491) and that it was mandatory to notify the Police of such events.

Law 491 (1) establishes that any person who wishes to carry out any special event within the meaning of this Law in any public place must notify the police of their intention no less than 5 days before the date of the special event.

It also indicates that the notification will be made in writing and will be signed by or on behalf of the organizers of the special event and will specify the place and time of the special event, the nature of the special event, the start time, the proposal. route and destination, if any, and proposed closing time of the event.

He said that notification should be sent to a police officer, not below the rank of assistant superintendent of police or other responsible police officers from the police station closest to the location of the proposed special event.

He said that the Coalition leadership had violated the Public Order Law.

He said those arrested would be turned over to the CID for further action and investigations.

ACP Ofori warned groups and individuals who intended to organize future demonstrations or file petitions to ensure they followed the Public Order Law.

Mr. Charles Nyame, GCFM Public Relations Officer, condemned the arrest of his colleagues, stating that they were not demonstrating but filing a petition.

He said that they were only victims of the financial cleansing exercise, saying that “we are under the Securities and Exchange Commission and we have filed our claims awaiting payment, but they came out to announce that the payment would be made today excluding us, which we would not accept.”

She said they presented a letter to the Registrar General, the official liquidator, about her visit to present “the petition today and she accepted and responded to the letter, so we just waited for him to come for her.”

“Regional leaders have come all the way to support the presentation. Our only problem is that we are included to receive our money, ”he said.

Earlier, when the Ghana News Agency came to the front of the Registrar General’s Department, clients were seen sleeping on mats, resting their heads on pillows.

Some also displayed posters with inscriptions that included: “No funds, no vote, Mr. President, your financial cleansing has made us beggars” and “Mr. President, we are dying.”