Police arraign eight for obstructing Ritz junction operation

The Greater Accra Police Command has arraigned eight out of the 109 persons who were picked up for allegedly attacking a team of police officers.

This comes on the back of an attack by some residents of Ritz Junction on a team of police personnel providing security to a bailiff executing a court order.

After investigations by the police, eight out of the 109 arrested persons were alleged to have been part of those who disrupted the work of the police.

Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM, the Public Relations Officer of the Greater Accra Regional Police, DSP Efia Tenge, said the eight persons were put before court for obstructing the work of the police.

“On the back of some obstructions which took place at Ritz junction on Monday, on Wednesday, the Regional Command mobilised again and went to the place where 109 persons were arrested for their involvement in obstructing the police in the said operation.”

“Eight of them were found to have been involved in the said action. So they have been put before court this morning and the rest of them have been released. They were held for assault on a public officer and also obstructing the police officers in the discharge of their lawful duties,” DSP Tenge said.

In a video that went viral, some residents of Ritz Junction prevented the Police from carrying out a court order. But for the professionalism exhibited by the Police, a confrontation would have ensured.

A few days, however, the Police, in a show of force, swooped in the neighbourhood and arrested some residents identified as part of those who put up the resistance against the Police.

The incident which went viral on social media sparked widespread condemnation from a section of the public.

In the video, some built men charged on armed police personnel who had stormed the area in their numbers.

An armed policeman was pushed to the ground by the youth.

The angry youth rolled a mini metal container ostensibly to block the police from crossing it to effect the arrest they had gone there to execute.

The police personnel subsequently had to retreat from their operation to calm the tensions from further escalating.