The Leader of the Economic Fighters League has been granted bail after he was arrested Rambo-styled for organising an anti-racism rally for the slain George Floyd in Minneapolis-USA.
The security operatives who came to pick him up amidst strong critics from the general public have claimed their order came from “above”.
Ernesto Yeboah was leading a vigil against police brutality and profiling of unarmed black Americans as dozens of countries were holding similar protests worldwide.
In a video that has since gone viral on social media, Ernesto Yeboah was bundled away, despite him telling the arresting officers that he has been issued official clearance for the event.
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.
According to him, he has been giving clearance to organise the solidarity vigil. “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,” he told Joy News in an interview monitored by Whatsup News.
“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.”
A peeved Ernesto Yeboah fumed: “…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, saying he unperturbed by the actions of the police.
Ernesto Yeboah had had several brushed with security agencies for what he claims is his stance against tyranny. The last time he was bundled away by security agents was when he stormed the Ghanaian Parliament during deliberations by the lawmakers on how to blow some US$ 200 million on a new chamber.