The prosecution handling the cases of the Democracy Hub protesters has dismissed allegations of mistreatment of the accused while in custody, asserting that they are receiving appropriate care.
Currently, 53 protesters have been remanded, with 9 in prison and the others in police custody.
Defense lawyers have accused the police of maltreatment, including a lack of food and medical care. Justice Srem Sai, representing Oliver Barker-Vormawor, claimed that his client and other detainees were in distress due to insufficient medical attention during an emergency, alleging that Barker-Vormawor only received care after collapsing.
During the bail hearing, defense lawyers argued for their clients’ release based on these conditions.
However, the prosecution countered, asserting that the accused are well-fed and even receive meals from Papaye, a well-known local restaurant. This assertion sparked outrage among the defense team.
Superintendent Sylvester Asare, head of legal for the Ghana Police Service, backed the prosecution’s claims, noting that he personally supervised the food distribution to the detainees.
The prosecution also opposed the bail requests, citing concerns about the unknown addresses of some of the accused. After considering the arguments, the judge denied the bail applications, remanding the protesters until October 8.
Following the court proceedings, the remanded protesters expressed their dissatisfaction by singing patriotic songs.
This occurred after Oliver Barker-Vormawor and 12 other Democracy Hub members were remanded in police custody for two weeks, pending their next court appearance on October 8.
This brings the total number of individuals charged in connection with the protest disturbances to 53.
