Joy News' presenters help free 'arrested' RTI coalition member

Elvis Darko had gone to parliament with a different agenda from many others who had gone there to listen to the reading of the 2019 budget Thursday.

As an advocate for the passage of the Right to Information Bill, he went with a placard to picket at Parliament over the record-breaking delay in passing the pro-transparency legislation.

But he was soon confronted by a soldier who took away his placard and destroyed it. He explained what happened with a narration which has since gone viral on facebook.

Narration

“We were standing on the pavement in front of the Conference Centre opposite parliament house.

Police and soldiers stationed at the gate of the Conference Centre asked that we move few steps away since Vice-President Dr Bawumia was coming to the Conference Centre for a function before going to parliament for budget presentation and we obliged.

I started taking pictures of those holding the messages on RTI Bill.

Then, about 3 police officers came and asked that we leave the place entirely. We asked for their reason and one of them said it is an order from above.

Another one said the road and pavement where we were standing are all part of the state house and constitutes a security zone.

One of the policemen called his commander to report to him. In the midst of the exchanges, the convoy of the Vice - President passed by to the conference centre.

Immediately, another police personnel and a military personnel joined the exchanges.

The military personnel then forcefully took the placard from Gilbert, crossed the road to parliament gate, broke the placards with his feet and dumped it into a dustbin.

While this was happening I was on my phone ready to grant an interview to Neat FM. At this point, I cut the call from Neat FM in order to take photo of the military personnel destroying the placard.

One policeman held my hand shouting that I have no right to take a photo of the military personnel or the policemen.

The military personnel joined the policeman to wrestle the phone from me. They then said they have arrested me.

I told them I want to walk to the parliament police station and they rejected it. They ordered me to join their car to the police station in parliament.

On our way, the military personnel said "when you people go to take money from people, then you come and do these things. Go and lock him up"

When we got to the police station, the military personnel drove off.

The police officer who said he is a chief inspector told those on duty why he arrested me and ordered me to sit at the counter back which I did.

The statement was taken by a female police officer.

The Chief Inspector actually went through my photo gallery on my phone to narrate the message on the placards since I took photos of some.

I requested to make a call and the Chief Inspector who arrested me said "once you are arrested you lose your rights".

So, he refused to give me my phone. 

One of the police personnel on duty asked my name, where I work and my phone number which I provided.

He then searched me.  I had to remove everything in my pocket. After he was satisfied, he asked me  to put the items back into my pocket.

It took over 20 minutes for the commander of the station to arrive.

He invited me to his office and then explained the public order act and said we were required to inform the police about our action of standing on the pavement and displaying messages.

According to him, it was important for us to inform the police for our our safety since people with hidden motives could attack us or infiltrate our ranks and cause problem.
 
In the midst of the Conversation, Daniel Dadzie and Kojo Yankson arrived to find out what was happening to me.

Joy News presenters Kojo Yankson and Daniel Dadzie quickly moved to the police station armed with a video camera and microphone.

Kojo Yankson said he shoved a microphone to a police officer to explain why he was trying to seize the video camera.

A police officer explained, he was been filmed eating in a public place.

According to Kojo Yankson, the police officers appeared to be under the impression, it is illegal to film a police officer on duty.

The presence of the two journalists and their recording devices alerted the officers to rush to the commander to report media activity in the office.

The police commander explained, Elvis Darko had not been arrested although they still insisted he deletes pictures.

Kojo Yankson explained, if the private citizen was not under arrest, the police officer had no right to seize Elvis Darko’s phone.

The member of the RTI coalition was later released, his phone and pictures intact.