Some 25 members of a so-called secessionist group claiming to fight for a state called ‘Western Togoland’ in the Volta Region have been granted a total bail sum of GH¢2.5 million by an Accra Circuit Court.
The accused persons are facing multiple counts of conspiracy to commit treason felony, rioting with weapons, stealing, causing unlawful damage and participating in the meeting of a prohibited group.
The prosecution once again amended the charge sheet for which the accused persons were arraigned for their involvement in the riots that blocked vehicular movement on busy highways close to Juapong on the Accra-Ho highway as well as on the Accra-Aflao highway on September 25 this year.
The prosecution, led by ASP Sylvester Asare, appearing before the court yesterday stated that investigations were still ongoing in the matter and prayed the court to remand the accused persons to assist the police with the investigation.
He said the court does not have jurisdiction to take the plea of the accused persons and, therefore, could not grant them bail.
But lawyers of the accused persons did not take kindly to the request as they lamented about the treatment allegedly being meted out to the suspects.
The lawyers in their various arguments for bail stated that the human rights of the accused persons have been ‘infringed’ upon by the security agencies that are holding them and prayed the court to grant them bail.
They argued that some of the accused persons have wives and relatives who heavily depend on them for shelter, but are being kept in custody.
The court presided over by Emmanuel Essandoh upon hearing the two sides granted the accused persons a bail of GH¢100,000 each with two sureties each.
Each of the sureties must be a public servant earning not less than GH¢4,000 monthly.
Meanwhile, four of the accused have been discharged by the court following the amendment of the charge sheet which did not include their names.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak