One of the lawyers for the 54 arrested Democracy Hub protesters, Noah Adamptey, has strongly criticized the Attorney General and the Ghana Police Service for shifting blame onto defense counsel over the misinformation regarding the alleged pregnancy of one of the protesters, Vera Louise.
Responding to a police statement denying Vera’s pregnancy status, Adamptey argued that the state’s posture is “quite surprising” and accused authorities of denying legal counsel sufficient access to their clients.
Speaking on ABC IN THE MORNING, on Friday he emphasized that “Lawyers had less than three minutes to speak to our clients. We had no opportunity to inquire about such information.”
Mr. Adamptey explained that lawyers were not allowed to conference with Vera after her arrest and only saw her briefly before she was remanded in court.
He remarked that the Attorney General, whose role goes beyond convicting accused persons, should have ensured that the rights of the protesters were adequately protected.
“Efforts were made by the Police under the guise of orders from above not to allow lawyers and relatives of the protesters to interact with them,” he lamented.
He further countered the Attorney General’s assertion that it was the duty of defense lawyers to inform the court of Vera’s alleged pregnancy.
“This is just an attempt to shift blame,” Adamptey stated firmly. “The AG knows that the lawyers were not in a position to know whether she was actually pregnant simply because we were not given the chance to interact with her.”
The lawyer revealed that they only became aware of Vera’s pregnancy claim after her court arraignment, when the information was communicated to them.
The Ghana Police Service had earlier released a statement stating that thorough medical examinations at the Police Hospital and an independent health facility confirmed that Vera Louise is not pregnant, as claimed.
The police clarified that at no point did the suspect or her lawyers inform them or the court of a pregnancy.
Nonetheless, the legal team of the arrested protesters maintains that they do not trust the police report, highlighting ongoing mistrust between the parties.
