“He struck my chest without provocation” — Minority Leader accuses Police Officer of assault during protest

Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has accused a uniformed police officer of physically assaulting him during Monday’s “Save the Judiciary” protest at the entrance of Parliament House.

The Effutu MP, who led the demonstration alongside other opposition leaders, identified the officer as Constable Forson and described the alleged assault as “reprehensible and disgraceful.”

According to Afenyo-Markin, the officer deliberately struck the left side of his chest with full force as he attempted to access Parliament to present a petition, leaving him visibly shaken and short of breath.

Recounting the incident in a formal statement, the lawmaker said he had to lean against the wall to avoid collapsing, after which a national service personnel offered him water and two CID officers helped him to a nearby restroom where he lay on a bench to recover.

Despite his condition, Afenyo-Markin chose to continue with the protest, stating, “Though still unwell, I made a deliberate effort to compose myself… determined not to let the incident create a scene or derail the purpose of our peaceful protest.”

He expressed concern that efforts to locate the officer afterward were unsuccessful, alleging the officer may have been discreetly removed from the scene to avoid scrutiny.

Afenyo-Markin condemned suggestions that he had provoked the officer, asserting he was simply protesting the conduct.

He praised the professionalism of officers at other protest stops, including the Supreme Court and Jubilee House, in contrast to the situation at Parliament, which he described as “an embarrassing and dangerous departure” from expected standards.

A formal petition has since been submitted to the Inspector-General of Police, with the Minority Leader calling for a full investigation, warning that attempts by political actors, particularly within the NDC, to distort the incident must not distract from the demonstration’s core mission, defending judicial independence and constitutional democracy.