Two members of 'Let My Vote Count' granted bail

TWO leading members of a multi-party alliance group called ‘Let My Vote Count” have been granted self-recognisance bail by the police for breaking the Public Order Law, Act 491.

The two, Mr Sammy Awuku, a Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Mr Abu Ramadan, the National Youth Organiser of the People’s National Convention (PNC), are to report to the Madina Police Station on Thursday for further interrogation.

Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer of the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, DSP Freeman Tettey said the two had been charged because they held a public and outdoor programme without notification to the police as required by law.

Asked if they would be arraigned before the law court, Mr Tettey said it would depend on the outcome of the investigation.

On January 27, 2013 at Dome near Accra, the alliance was launched to educate Ghanaians about the need for them to insist that their votes were factored into the outcome of the 2012 presidential election.

They group members say that they are seeking justice which is the prerequisite for peace in the current Supreme Court case regarding an election petition filed by some leading members of the NPP against declaration of President John Mahama as the winner of the 2012 presidential election.

Speakers at the launch were made up of Mr Awuku of the NPP, Mr Ramadan of PNC, Mr Ernest Owusu-Bempah of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Prof Mike Oquaye, a former Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Ms Adjoa Safo, Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya.

Explaing their portion of what occurred during their meeting with the police in an interview, a Spokesperson for the Alliance, Mr David Asante denied that any of his members had been charged and granted bail to report to the police station based on cognisance.

He explained further that, three persons; Mr Awuku, Mr Ramadan and Mr Owusu-Bempah who were however, cautioned and discharged.

He explained that the group which was represented by their lawyers, Mr Mike Oquaye Jnr and Mr Gabby Asare Okyere Darko honoured an invitation by the Madina Police made it clear to the police during the discussions that they were invited by the MP for Dome-Kwabenya who organised a programme on a private property which was paid for.

And that they never held any demonstration.

Mr Asante said the police made it clear that their beef was that they were not notified, this made it difficult for to control the traffic jam that occurred in the area after the close of the programme and cautioned them that next time they should do well to inform them, which they obliged.

The group, he said was surprised that the police had the names of Mr Kwabena Bonfeh, a National Youth Organiser of the PNC and Mr Atik Mohammed, a Policy Analyst of the PNC as some of the leading members who spoke at the Dome-Kwabenya programme.

He maintained that the alliance would not be the least perturbed or intimidated by such invitation to stop its civil activities to garner support and sensitise Ghanaians about the need to ensure that their votes were counted for the person they voted for.