Police arrest Egyptian activist

An Egyptian Ahmed Awadallah has been arrested after a fitness walk he told Police he and his compatriots were going to embark upon turned out to be a pro-Morsi demonstration.

The Police are pressing a deceit of public officer charge against the President of the Egyptian Community in Ghana because he had varied the reason for which he was given permission and police protection to embark on a so-called fitness walk yesterday.

The application he had submitted to the Director General/Operations of the Ghana Police Service dated 29th October 2013 said, “The Egyptian community in Ghana is embarking on a fitness walk, and as such need Police protection.”

It indicated that the march would take place on Sunday, 3rd November 2013 between 3pm and 6pm from Shoprite, Tetteh Quarshie through to the Egypt Embassy and put the membership at 60.

The cat was let out of the bag when the Police personnel detailed to provide the requested protection found out that the marchers bore politically-suggestive placards.

The Police quickly arrested the President of the Egyptian Community and charged him for deceiving a public officer, given that the fitness march turned out to be a pro-Morsi demonstration.

The democratically elected Muslim Brotherhood Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi was toppled a few months ago in a coup d’état which the Egyptian authorities have denied was a coup.

Since the ouster of Mohammed Morsi, the North African country has witnessed notable and bloodied protests which have claimed many lives.

The trial of the former President Morsi was due to commence yesterday and the demonstration in Accra could have been planned to coincide with the trial in solidarity with him.

Given that the botched Accra march was a pro-Morsi demonstration against the current government, the Egyptian mission in Accra is likely to pull diplomatic strings over the matter.