#OccupyJulorbi: Court awards GH¢150,000 damages over police brutality

The Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court has ordered the Ghana Police Service to pay GH¢150,000 in damages to three protestors, Bridget Otoo, Vanessa Edotom Boateng, and George Gyening Anyang, for police brutality during the 2023 #OccupyJulorbi demonstration.

In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, the court, presided over by Justice Nana Brew, held that the police had infringed on the fundamental human rights of the three applicants during the protest, which was organised to highlight Ghana's harsh economic conditions at the time.

The court upheld an application for the enforcement of fundamental human rights filed on behalf of the three applicants by their lawyer, Samson Lardy Anyenini.

The damages awarded by the court consisted of GH¢100,000 in compensatory damages, GH¢50,000 in general damages, and GH¢30,000 in legal costs. The court also ordered the Ghana Police Service to issue and publish an unqualified apology in the Daily Graphic.

The court's findings revealed that evidence presented showed police officers assaulted Bridget Otoo and ripped her blouse during the demonstration.

Additionally, the court found that Vanessa Edotom Boateng was unlawfully detained and had her mobile phone seized in an attempt to prevent her from recording incidents of alleged police brutality.

Regarding George Gyening Anyang, the court held that evidence presented showed that police officers punched and beat him to stop him from livestreaming events at the Accra Regional Police Command.