IGP reacts to British High Commissioner’s tweet on Baker-Vormawor’s arrest
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare has reacted to a tweet by the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Her Excellency Harriet Thompson, on the arrest of lead convener of the #FixTheCountry Movement, Oliver Barker Vormawor.
The British High Commissioner to Ghana, in a tweet on Tuesday, May 17, said she looks forward to seeing how the arrest of the convener of the FixTheCountry Movement will turn out.
“Oliver Barker Vormawor, the convener of #FixTheCountry Movement, arrested again, I understand, for a motoring offense on his way to court. I’ll be interested to see where this goes…,” the tweet read.
But in a press release signed by the IGP, Dr Akufo Dampare noted the High Commissioner’s tweet was from an uninformed position.
In the said release, the IGP said he found it imperative to respond to the tweet of the High Commissioner as her tweet violates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
“Ordinarily, the Ghana Police Service would not have responded to comments such as yours, obviously made from either a biased or uninformed position.”
“However, we have learnt from a previous painful experience that it has not been helpful to ignore such misguided, unwarranted, and biased comments intended to tarnish the reputation of the Ghana Police Service and that of our country.”
“What is more, we consider your tweet as a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 which enjoins diplomatic missions not to interfere in the internal affairs of their host country,” reads parts of the press release.
Background
The FixTheCountry convener was arrested at the East Legon tunnel in Accra as part of an operation by the police to control traffic.
The exercise also led to the arrest of drivers of other prominent personalities.
He was subsequently taken to the East Legon Police cells after he was arraigned before the Madina District Court.
He was charged with careless and inconsiderate driving and granted bail to the tune of ¢30,000 bail with two sureties.
However, upon his release, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, said he was stripped down and kept for eight hours in Police cells.
According to him, this treatment was mainly for a road traffic offence.
