Economic Fighters League Leader Granted Bail

The Leader of the Economic Fighters League has been granted bail after he was arrested by security operatives at the Black Star Square on Saturday in Accra.

Ernesto Yeboah was leading a vigil against police brutality as similar protests were underway in the United States of America (USA) after the killing of George Floyd, an African-American man by police.

In a video, Mr Yeboah was seen addressing participants on the need to end police brutality among other issues before he was arrested.

Speaking in an interview on Joy News on Sunday after he was granted bail, the political activist said he was charged for beaching the Executive Instrument (EI) 64 under the Imposition of Restrictions Act and not notifying the police before the vigil.

Mr Yeboah denies not notifying the police before he undertook his activities.

“The notice of vigil was issued to them and it was also made public…even similar demonstration notices that were not served the police, they responded to them and yet when we notified fired them, handed them a copy, gave the Interior Minister, Foreign Affairs, Inspector General of Police and Regional Police Command copies,

“They did not find it courteous to call and tell us about what their reservations were and if there was something that could be done about it, we could have had that discussion,” he said told Komla Adom in an interview.

On the breach of EI 64, the political activist said the legislation was taken into serious consideration and was at the centre of the event.

According to him, everyone who came to the ground of the vigil was given a hand sanitiser to sanitise their hands and a face mask if there weren’t in any.

“And so for the police to have come up with these, is quite funny. If there was anybody breaching the public peace, it was not us but the police. It was supposed to be a vigil, a peaceful gathering with a political and spiritual motive of daring inspiration form the Independence Arch, Freedom and justice

“We were not here to be rowdy or cause commotion but stand in silent solitude in order to draw inspiration and say to the rest of the world that black lives must indeed matter,” he added.

Mr Yeboah says he is unfazed by the actions of the police.

Like the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police, he said, “we cannot sit in a country and allow the killings of persons like Eric Ofosu in Ashaiman, Ahmed Suale, a journalist and all of that, we cannot.”