It has turned out that a Togolese ‘minor’ whose age was a subject of arguments in the case involving some Togolese protestors, is 17 years old, and not 11 as his lawyer and parents want an Accra circuit court to believe.
The supposed minor was arrested with 25 Togolese protestors on October 28, 2017 by the Greater Accra Regional police at the Kawukudi Park, near Nima, Accra, where they had converged to demonstrate against the Gnassingbe Eyadema dynasty in Togo.
Wiles the pleas of the other 25 protestors were taken and subsequently granted bail, that of the supposed 11-year-old boy’s was reserved because of uncertainties surrounding his age.
The court had ordered for him to be taken to the Police Hospital for his age to be determined in November last year.
Prior to the determination of his age, he was granted bail by the court, presided over by Priscilla Dapaah-Mireku.
At yesterday’s sitting, the boy was not in court when his real age was revealed.
His surety, Salifu Labaran, told the court that he (suspect) was indisposed and had been taken to Togo for treatment.
A relieving judge, Ruby Quaison, ordered that a medical report be presented to the court to that effect, failure for which the suspect must appear before the court on the next adjourned date – February 9, 2018.
The Greater Accra police on October 28, 2017, arrested the Togolese and some Ghanaians who were clad in red attires and headbands at the Kawukudi Park.
They demonstrated against the government of Togo to press home their demand for constitutional reforms in that country.
The accused persons were reportedly riding motorbikes recklessly on the Nima Highway, which according to the police, posed security threat to the public.
On December 16, 2017, the Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) Bernard Mornah, was also arrested together with 12 other persons for allegedly staging an illegal protest in solidarity with Togolese over the unrest in that country.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak