The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), James Oppong Boanuh says until Ghana decides someday to legalise Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) in the country, the laws will be enforced to deal with the activities of the group.
His comment follows the closure of the office space of the LGBT+ Rights Ghana at Kwabenya in Accra on Wednesday, February 24.
“Currently there are some laws on this issue and we in the police will enforce the law as far as the limits of the law are concerned and therefore for as long as those laws remain in our statute books we are going to enforce it”.
“If the people of Ghana by some way decide that we are going to legitimise it and it is taken off our books, we are okay with it but until that is done we will ensure that the laws are complied with,” he stated.
Speaking at the inauguration of a conference hall for the Central Regional Police Command on Friday, February 26, IGP Oppong Boanuh advised Ghanaians not to take the law into their hands in fighting this group.
“The chiefs and people threatened that they will burn down the office, so our officers had to go down and speak to them that we don’t fight crime by committing another crime, so leave it to us.
“And within a few hours the appropriate action was taken.
“The whole point that I am making is that we should not take the laws into our own hands no matter what the circumstances.
“We should allow the security agencies to deal with whatever situation that comes.”
He urged officers of the Ghana Police Service to be circumspect in enforcing the laws in cases involving LGBTQI persons.
“I urge my officers to be circumspect in the handling of cases that involve these groups,” he emphasised.
