Seven residents of Mandari in the Bole District of the Savannah Region have been arraigned before the Bole District Magistrate Court over their alleged involvement in a demonstration held in the community on June 9, 2026.
The accused persons are Aworo Yeboah Mango, Gilimwini Sella David, Bala Dapanyel, Abu Aziz, Mohammed Hadi, Braimah Jima and John Tesenia.
According to the charge sheet, the prosecution has preferred two charges against the accused. The first is Deceiving a Public Officer, contrary to Section 251 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). Prosecutors allege that on June 4, 2026, the accused informed the Bole Police Command that they had called off the planned demonstration, a representation the prosecution says was false and intended to evade the legal requirements governing public demonstrations.
The second charge is Holding a Special Event Without Notification, contrary to Section 1 of the Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 491). The prosecution contends that despite the alleged assurance given to the police, the accused proceeded to organise and participate in the demonstration at Mandari without the required notification.
The case stems from a protest by residents, largely made up of youth, who took to the streets of Mandari to express dissatisfaction over what they described as decades of neglect despite the community’s unwavering support for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Clad in red attire and accompanied by brass band music, the demonstrators marched through the principal streets carrying placards demanding jobs, a Senior High School, a polyclinic, improved water supply and other development projects. Some placards read, “34 Years of Political Neglect, NDC Why?”, “We Need Jobs”, “We Need SHS” and “We Need a Polyclinic.”
The protesters also presented a petition titled “Urgent Developmental Needs for the Mandari Community,” arguing that the community had consistently voted for the NDC since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1992 but had seen little development in return. Among the concerns raised were the poor state of the community’s health facility, the absence of a Senior High School, unemployment, inadequate access to potable water and what they described as limited government investment in the area.
The demonstration proceeded peacefully despite several unsuccessful attempts by community leaders and the police to persuade the youth to suspend the protest.
The matter is currently before the Bole District Magistrate Court, where both the prosecution and the defence are expected to present their evidence.
The charges remain allegations, and all seven accused persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Source:nkilgifm.com
