Oliver Barker-Vormawor slams OSP over mugshot of accused persons

Private legal practitioner and activist, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has condemned the Office of the Special Prosecutor over the release of the mugshot of accused persons in the case, Republic v Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and 9 others.

In a strongly worded post shared on his X account on Friday, July 18, he described the move by the OSP as a violation of due process and disregard for the rights of persons yet to be proven guilty in court.

“A suspect is under zero legal compulsion to pose for a photo or mugshot, and I would not under any circumstances allow my client to allow such a picture to be taken,” he said.

He shared his personal experience with the Ghana Police when they tried to arrest him in connection with the #Stopgalamsey protest.

He recounted how the police, after an interrogation, insisted on handcuffing him.

Oliver Barker-Vormawor stressed that he had cooperated fully with the police and did not understand why they wanted to arrest him.

“I told them, I don’t understand why I am being handcuffed, because I turned myself in. I had called ahead to the Police to inform them that I was coming,” he said.

He described the decision to handcuff him after he had willingly surrendered himself as bizarre, and even though he objected to it, he still complied.

“Anyway, I wasn’t in the mood to fight it. So, I let them,” a portion of the statement read.

He also disclosed that attempts by the police to forcibly take a photo of him led to a confrontation between the police, himself, and his lawyer, Justice Srem-Sai.

“I refused completely that I will never let that happen, and they would have to put me in a chokehold to get that to happen,” he stated.

Oliver Barker-Vormawor, however, clarified his strong belief in the Office of the Special Prosecutor and its mandate, but warned that this method of public exposure could erode public trust in due process.

“I believe a 1000 percent in the office of the OSP, and the logic of it. But I am unable to accept that this too is justice,” he added.

“For the umpteenth time, tone down the drama!” he said.

The OSP on Thursday, July 18, released a graphic with names and photographs of some accused persons, including the former CEO of the National Petroleum Authority, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, and nine other persons

The graphic has since gone viral on social media.

AS/VPO

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