Mind your business – Dampare tells British High Commissioner
The Ghana Police Service has asked Harriet Thompson, the British High Commissioner to Ghana, to mind her own business.
This is in response to a tweet by Commissioner Harriet Thompson after the arrest of FixTheCountry Movement convener Oliver Barker-Vormawor.
In a four-page letter signed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, and seen by JoyNews, the IGP stated that Ms. Thompson’s actions were unprofessional and intended to tarnish the reputation of the Ghana Police Service.
On May 17, the British High Commissioner tweeted, “Oliver Barker Vormawor, convener of the #FixTheCountry Movement, was again arrested on his way to court for a traffic violation. I am curious to see where this goes.”
According to him, “normally, the Ghana Police Service would not have responded, but we have learned from previous, painful experience that ignoring such misguided, unwarranted, and biased comments intended to tarnish the reputation of the Ghana Police Service and our country has not been productive.”
IGP Dampare noted additional instances in Britain where “religious organisations” were labeled as terrorists for endangering national security.
Subsequently, he questioned Madam Thompson’s moral authority in criticising the Ghana Police Service’s approach to nation-threatening individuals.
“As our former colonial power and the origin of our legal, judicial, and criminal justice system, as well as our Police Service, we continue to turn to Britain and other nations for guidance on how to handle tough circumstances.
“We are aware that some leaders of faith-based organizations in your country have made statements that were perceived as threats to national security. As a result, they have been branded as terrorists, arrested, prosecuted, and in some cases extradited. This, we feel, was done by your nation in an effort to preserve the security of the state and the tranquillity enjoyed by its citizens,” he remarked.
He said further, “Do you not believe the Ghanaian people deserve a peaceful nation?”
After presenting a detailed account of police interactions with the activist, IGP Dampare admonished the Diplomat to mind her own business.
“For the time being, we will offer a Ghanaian proverb that may assist you in your diplomatic endeavors. The proverb “Di wo fie asem” means “learn to stay inside your own boundaries.”
Mr. Barker-Vormawor was charged with endangering state security earlier this year and released on bail in April.
On Tuesday, May 17, officials from the Ghana Police Service’s Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) arrested him again and charged him with careless driving.
Meanwhile, Mr. Barker-Vormawor claims he has been jailed three times due to his activism this year alone.
Following these arrests, he has been sued three times, once by the Electoral Commissioner and again by the Ghana Police Service.
“Strangely, I had never been arrested in my entire life, but in just one year of #FixTheCountry action, I’ve been detained three times.
I’ve also been sued three times, twice by the Ghana Police Service and once by the Electoral Commissioner”, he posted on Facebook following his re-arrest on Tuesday morning.
