The late Charles Kormi Kudjordjie, aka Papavi Hogbedetor
Four persons including the founder of Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF), one of the prohibited groups agitating for the secession of the Volta Region and parts of the Oti Region from Ghana, have been sentenced to a total of 17 years’ imprisonment.
Michael Kwabla alias Togbe Yesu, who is the founder of the group and was billed to be the first Prime Minister of the independent Western Togoland, was sentenced to five years in prison in hard labour and was additionally fined GH¢12,000 in default of which he will spend an additional year in prison.
The court, presided over by Justice Mary Yanzuh, also sentenced Nene Kwaku Agblorm, a traditional leader, Lance Corporal Abednego Dzreke Mawuena, a police officer and WO1 Emmanuel Hayford Afedo, a military officer to four years’ imprisonment each.
They were additionally fined GH¢4,800 each and a failure to pay the fines would result in additional three months prison term for each.
Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF) is an offspring of Papavi’s Trans Volta Togoland Group which led the illegal campaign for the secession of Volta Region and parts of Oti Region from Ghana.
Michael Kwabla had indicated that he formed WTRF because the leadership of Homeland Study Group Foundation was moving at a very slow pace to achieve independence from Ghana.
He summoned meetings of the National Executive Council of the WTRF at which discussions were held as to how to secede from the Republic of Ghana and at one of the National Executive Council Meetings, a proposed list of the cabinet of the envisaged state was discussed.
The convicts were part of a group of people who on September 25, 2020, blocked the road at Juapong and Sogakope in the Volta Region and set fire to two STC vehicles as part of activities to call for a secession from Ghana.
On this same day, some members of WTRF also attacked the Aveyime and Mepe Police Stations respectively, freed the inmates in the cells, locked up the policemen on duty in the cells, took arms and ammunitions from the armory of the police stations and bolted.
This brings to 21, the total number of people jailed for their involvement in a violent demonstration in the Volta Region in calling for the separation of the region from the rest of Ghana.
They were charged with six counts of being a member of a prohibited organisation contrary to section 2(1)(1) of the Prohibited Organisation Act, 1976 (SMCD 20), summoning meetings of a prohibited organisation, attending meetings of a prohibited organisation and making contribution for the benefit of a prohibited organisation.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges but the court at the end of the trial held that the prosecution led by Joshua Sackey, a Senior State Attorney at the Office of the Attorney General was able to establish the guilt of the accused persons.
Justice Mary Yanzuh said there was evidence to show that the convicts are executive members of WTRF and were part of the planning of seceding Volta Region and part of the Oti Region from Ghana.
She found that it could not be said that the group is a harmless and peaceful organisation of people which had nothing to do with secession from Ghana as argued by Andrew Vortia, one of the defence lawyers.
She added that the prosecution had led strong and cogent evidence to show that the Western Togoland Restoration Front is a prohibited organisation.
Defence lawyers had prayed the court to consider the over three years the convicts spent in custody during the pendency of the case and sentence them to a fine as they have already served their time.
Mr. Sackey opposed the plea for mitigation and urged the court to institute the maximum sentence to serve as deterrent to others who may want to do same.
Justice Yanzuh, in sentencing the four, said Michael Kwabla chose an aggressive way of achieving independence for his state and his act of lowering the Ghana flag while declaring ‘independence’ is an insult to the Republic of Ghana.
On Kwaku Agblorm, the court said his position as a chief is held in high standard and he was under obligation to uphold the law, instead he was an executive member of the prohibited group and took part in the planning of the attack on the police stations where arms were stolen.
The court also held that Lance Corporal Abednego Dzreke Mawuena, a police officer and WO1 Emmanuel Hayford Afedo, a military officer disregarded the oaths they took to defend the territorial integrity of Ghana and rather engaged in a reprehensible act against the state.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak