Protestor at Mrs. Akufo-Addo’s event refuses to give 'caution statement'

The University of Ghana (UG) student arrested Wednesday morning for peacefully protesting the delays in opening the UG Medical Centre in Accra has refused to give a caution statement to the Police to allow for his release. Mr. Reginald Sekyi-Brown who is currently at ‘counter-back’ at the Korle-Bu Police Station is insisting he will not give any caution statement until he has received legal advice from his lawyers, TV3’s Catherine Frimpongmaa reported a while ago. No charges have been leveled against him yet. Sekyi-Brown, who is on a campaign to have the controversial UG Medical Centre opened for operation, was said to have raised a placard bearing the inscription “Open UGMC Now” at a sod cutting event at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital by the first lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo. He was said to have been arrested by some staff of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and sent to the Police Station on claims that his action was a disruption to the event. According to the Police, the staff who arrested him did not give any statement when he was handed to them at the station in the morning. Upon follow ups by the Police, the staff said they were no more interested in the case. But officers at the Korle-Bu Police Station are insisting Sekyi-Brown writes a statement before he is granted bail, something he considers weird especially when he has not been charged. Sekyi-Brown told our correspondent that when he was initially brought to the Police Station, he gave a statement hence will not give any other statement again, claiming what the police was seeking was a caution statement. He said he is waiting for legal advice from his lawyers before he acts. Government has been criticized in the last year over its failure to open the first phase of the 597-bed capacity hospital inaugurated by former President John Dramani Mahama in 2016. The first phase of the facility, which was expected to be fully operational by July 2017, houses different specialized centres, such as emergency, imaging, operating theatres and laboratories. By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana]]>