Don’t veer into ‘religious persecution’, the law is clear – Opuni Frimpong warns police

Former General Secretary of Christian Council of Ghana and Executive Director, Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Reverend Kwabena Opuni Frimpong has cautioned the Ghana Police Service not to abuse the rights of religious leaders as they plan to clamp down “prophecies of harm, danger and death”.

The Ghana Police Service in an earlier statement to the public said, “As the year 2021 draws to a close, the Ghana Police Service wishes to draw the attention of Ghanaians, especially religious groups, to the fact that whereas we have the right to religion, freedom of worship, and free speech, all of these rights are subject to the respect for the rights and freedoms of others according to our laws”.

“Over the years, communication of prophecies of harm, danger, and death, by some religious leaders, has created tension and panic in the Ghanaian society and put the lives of many people in fear and danger. We want to caution that under Ghanaian law, it is a crime for a person to publish or reproduce a statement, rumor, or report which is likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public peace, where that person has no evidence to prove that the statement, rumor or report is true,” the statement added.

However, responding to the matter in an interview with JoyNews monitored by MyNewsGH.com, Dr. Rev Opuni Frimpong stated clearly that though the police have the power to deal with these issues, yet the service should not also take it as an opportunity to abuse people in their quest to maintain peace and order.

“I will also plead with the Ghana police service that in enforcing the law, they should remain with the limit of the law so that they don’t leave any semblance of religious persecution. That, they don’t give anybody the impression that they want to hide behind the law to torment some religious people. Aside from that, we must respect the right of other people”.