Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate an officer, Constable Forson who he alleges assaulted him during the Save The Judiciary demonstration on Monday, May 5.
The Effutu MP also wants a disciplinary action to be taken against the officer.
In a letter addressed to the Office of the IGP on May 6, he said: “I hereby formally petition your office to investigate and take appropriate disciplinary action. against Constable Forson, a tall, fair, and heavily built officer who was stationed at the entrance of Parliament House to provide security during today’s “Save the Judiciary” demonstration.”
The alleged assault is said to have occurred at the entrance of Parliament House during the demonstration.
The lawmaker avers that the IGP must address the incident to correct misleading narratives circulating in the public domain.
Afenyo-Markin was invited by the police on Monday hours after the demonstration to assist in investigation regarding the content of a video that has gone viral.
In the video, the Minority Leader is seen knocking on the head of a police officer who was restraining the demonstrators from proceeding to a particular spot.
“The Ghana Police Service has reviewed several video footages on an alleged assault on a Police officer by Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin during the just ended demonstration.
“Following the review, the Service has written to the Right Hon. Speaker of Parliament requesting the release of Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin to assist ongoing investigation into the alleged incident,” a press release dated May 5 revealed.
“The officer in question will also be assisting the investigation,” the Police said.
However, moments after the police invitation, Afenyo-Markin in a statement refuted media reports that he assaulted a Police officer during the ‘Save the Judiciary’ demonstration.
According to him, he is rather the victim of assault by a Police Constable by name Forson.
Giving a blow-by-blow account of the incident in a press statement on May 5, Mr Afenyo-Markin said the officer hit him on the chest near his heart.
“As I approached the barricade, without any provocation, a uniformed police officer stationed behind the barricade – Constable Forson, a tall, fair, heavily built officer – deliberately struck the left side of my chest with the full force of his right palm, directly near my heart. The impact of the hit dazed me and I was visibly shaken and short of breath.
“In that moment, I spontaneously protested his conduct, asking why he would seek to harm me. The Inspector who was facilitating my access, along with o ther officers, quickly intervened and assisted me into the restricted area, where I had to lean against the wall at the entrance of Parliament House to prevent myself from collapsing,” portions of his statement read.
For this reason, the Minority Leader wants the said police officer to be investigated, and disciplinary action taken against him.
