A High Court in Accra has denied an application for bail filed by counsel for Oliver Barker-Vormawor, one of the organisers of the Democracy Hub demonstration against illegal mining, which turned chaotic around the 37 Roundabout.
The court, presided over by Justice Ayitey Armah-Tetteh, relying on Section 96:(5c) of Act 30, stated that he was not convinced the accused will not commit another offence if granted bail, considering the fact that he was already standing trial for treason felony when he allegedly committed the current offence for which he was remanded.
The court, however, gave the Circuit Court 72 hours to commence his trial, failure of which will lead the court to reconsider granting him bail.
The court also granted 12 other accused persons, including Felicity Nelson, a bail of GH¢20,000 each with two sureties.
The police have been directed to verify the residential addresses provided by the accused persons before the bail bond can be executed.
The rest include Cedric Bansah, Michael Amofa, Emmanuel Offei, Nii Ayi, Fred Boateng, Deportee Iddrisu Yusif, Wendell Yeboah, Samuel Samakor, Nana Amo Mensah Prempeh and Thomas Yeboah.
Meanwhile, another court presided over by Justice Comfort Tasiame has granted another group of nine accused persons, including Elorm Ababio popularly known as Ama Governor, a bail of GH¢70,000 each with two sureties each.
They were also directed to report to the police once every week and also deposit their Ghana Cards at the court’s registry.
Other accused persons are Emmanuel Gyan, Emmanuel Kwabena Addo, Ziblim Yakubu, Oheneba Prempeh, Philip Owusu Kobina, Akisibik Desmond, Von Coffie, Benjamin Akuffo Darko, and Sadik Yakubu.
This brings to 21, the total number of the arrested protesters who were granted bail by the two courts yesterday.
Trial
Fifty-four persons have been charged with offences including unlawful assembly, unlawful damage, offensive conduct conducive to breach of peace, assault on a public officer and defacement of public property, while Barker-Vormawor was separately charged with stealing a key from a police vehicle and throwing it away.
The demonstration, which began on September 21, 2024, became chaotic on September 22 with some of the protesters caught on video defacing billboards and political party paraphernalia, while others were caught in an altercation with police officers sent to the scene to maintain law and order.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor was caught on video removing the key from a police vehicle and throwing it away during the chaotic moment.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges, and their lawyers took turns to plead with the court to grant the accused persons bail, stressing on the alleged mistreatment they suffered while in police custody, and that the police are under resourced to adequately cater for the accused persons.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak