Court fines police GH¢180,000 over assault on Bridget Otoo, two activists

An Accra High Court has ordered the Ghana Police Service to pay GH¢150,000 in damages for violating the fundamental rights of journalist Bridget Otoo and two activists.

The judgment, delivered on May 14, 2026, stems from the state’s response to the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protests, where law enforcement officers were found to have failed in their duty of protection and instead engaged in physical intimidation.

Alongside the primary damages, Justice Brew ordered the police to pay an additional GH¢30,000 to cover the legal expenses incurred by the trio during the litigation. Presiding over the case, Justice Brew did not mince words, describing the conduct of the officers involved as “unconstitutional.”

The court’s findings detailed a harrowing account of state action aimed at silencing individuals documenting the demonstration.

Bridget Otoo, a prominent media personality, was subjected to a degrading assault during which her blouse was allegedly torn by officers.

The violence also extended to George Gyening Anyang, who was subjected to slaps and punches.

The court heard that Anyang was further assaulted with a metallic belt and a baton while attempting to livestream the unfolding chaos at the regional police station.

The third applicant, Vanessa Edotom Boateng, was unlawfully detained by the police.

The court established that her mobile phone was confiscated specifically to prevent her from recording the alleged brutality being meted out to protesters, an act the judge considered a direct interference with her personal liberties.

Beyond the financial penalties, the court also ordered a public admission of wrongdoing.

The Ghana Police Service is now legally mandated to publish an unqualified apology to the three victims in the Daily Graphic, Ghana’s most widely circulated national newspaper.