Denis Seyram Benson
A Kaneshie Magistrate Court yesterday remanded a 42-year-old self-styled lawyer who was representing a group of Volta ‘rebels’ arraigned for their agitations for the separation of Volta Region from Ghana.
The suspect, Dennis Seyram Benson, who is a farmer, was hauled before the court charged with four counts of defrauding by false pretences and deceit of court by impersonation contrary to 215 of the Criminal Offences act (Act 29).
He was arrested at the Kaneshie Magistrate Court on December 17 when he appeared as counsel for some of the accused persons.
The fake lawyer, according to the police, is a member of Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF), one of the groups agitating for the separation of the Volta Region from Ghana.
He had been representing a number of the accused persons before an Accra circuit court, where they were initially arraigned after their arrest.
He was arrested after the police suspected him to be a fake lawyer and began investigating him.
Investigations by the police, according to the prosecution led by ASP Sylvester Asare, revealed that Mr. Benson lived in Aflao in the Volta Region and had been coming to Accra to represent the accused persons.
His demeanour in court also gave him away prompting the court presided over by Her Worship Ama Adomako Kwakye to question him, which eventually lead to his arrest.
The suspect is said to have confessed to the police during investigations that he is indeed not a lawyer but rather a farmer.
Remanded
The accused person was remanded after the court presided over Her Honour Rosemond Agyiri denied an application for bail by his lawyer.
His lawyer, Rexford Nii Nortey Lokko, in his application for bail, had told the court that the accused would appear for the trial when granted bail.
The application was opposed by ASP Asare, who indicated that they were still investigating the matter and granting him bail would hamper their investigations.
The court remanded him to reappear on January, 4, 2020.
Clients
His clients who are members of the so-called Western Togoland Group are facing multiple charges of treason felony, conspiracy, rioting with weapons, stealing and participating in meetings of prohibited group among others.
The suspects are among a group of people who allegedly stormed the Aveyime and Mepe police stations in the Volta Region and overpowered police officers and made away with weapons, ammunitions, a police patrol vehicle and other personal effects.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak