‘Must we wait for all of them to die’ – Lawyer for suspected secessionists
Lawyer for the suspected secessionists has lambasted the prosecution for attempts to keep the accused persons in custody pending investigations.
Theophilus Donkor, who is the lawyer for 18 out of 29 accused persons, frowned at the prosecution’s ploy to further remand the accused persons.
“This is a calculated attempt by the prosecution to keep them here for no reason. Are we waiting for all of them to die before granting them bail.
“I have been informed that one of the accused persons is dead and the family is even not aware. My Lord, are we waiting for them to die first,” he demanded.
Mr Donkor’s frustration comes after news of one secessionist in custody who died in police cells in Accra. The unnamed accused person died while on remand.
The prosecution, however, refused to comment on the status of the suspected secessionist the lawyer reported dead.
The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Slyvester Asare simply said “I cannot speak to that effect”.
But the lawyer blurted out, “the lives of people are at risk and this is what you have to say. You want them to be further remanded, for what.”
The lawyer argued that the prosecution must not be allowed to hide behind the crop of investigations.
He insisted that accused persons must be tried within a reasonable period of time. Mr Donkor also mentioned the fact that the accused persons have been in custody for over a month.
Having heard the legal banter from the prosecution and lawyers of the accused persons, the judge Rosemary Baah Tosu refused the bail application and remanded the 29 accused persons.
At the mention of remand, the accused persons currently facing charges of treason and being part of a prohibited group started chanting “oohh oohh hmmm”.
For most of these accused persons who are fluent in the Ewe dialect, the word remand and discharge has been imprinted in their minds since the trial started weeks ago.
All they could do was sigh, looking at another two weeks ahead with their new Bureau of National Investigations family.
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The 29 accused persons are Nene Kwaku Agblorm II, Ernest Kpevu, Devine Seddoh, Bright Klutsey, Selasi Gbadago, Gilbert Nyadzinyo, Benjamin Gabadago, Felix Sosa, Lawrence Nyadzinor, Excel Liberty and Aheto Kuegbesika.
The others are Divine Nyadzinor, Godwin Awudza, William Amenor, Agbemenya Doste, Lousie Nyadzinor, Mawulolo Ahorble, Fiave Joeffery, George Akweti, Noah Ahiatorgah, ,
The rest are Samuel Gbolomo, Rapheal Tettevi, James Nanewortor, Abednego Dzreke Mawuena, Emmenuel Hayfor Afedo, Isaac Kwesi Afeku, Richard Adri, Prosper Avumenyi, John Korbla Gbedema and Stephen Asime.
Facts of the case
The suspects are members of a prohibited organization namely Western Togoland Foundation and related Organization. That the core objective of both group is to separate a section of the east most part of the entire country which they describe to be Western Togoland and usurp the executive powers of the Republic of Ghana.
The group has its strong hold in the Volta region and has pockets of followers
across the towns namely, Osuwem, Juapong, Volo, Mamfe, Bator,
Mepe, Aveyime, Ho and many others.
Nene Kwaku Agblorm II, Felix Sosa and Lawrence Nyadzinor have been identified as National Executive Counsel Members of Western Togoland Foundation.
The group is headed by one Charles Kormi Kudzordzi popularly called Papavi and has illegally trained the youth numbering over two hundred to take up arms to fight their struggles.
It has been moving its unlawful training grounds from one town to the other to outwit the security operatives. The leadership of the group in recent times have been holding series of illegal meeting at Afife.
Mepe, Juapong, Nyatikpo, Aveyime and other towns in the Volta region with the agenda of how to achieve their aim.
Devine Seddoh, an active member of the group was then assigned the role of education, to organize more followers from the northern stretch of their targeted
territory, particularly ewes.
Ernest Kpevu, claimed he denied the responsibility to supply firearms to the group but have been making financial donations to enhance their illegal activities.
Somewhere in September, 2020 a collective decision was made by executive and
members of Western Togoland at Afife to organise and riot and block the two major roads at Juapong and also attack drivers at the State Transport Corporation Terminal at Ho and rob them of their busses.
The meeting was attended by the accused persons together with others at large.
On September 9, 2020, the accused persons together with others at large camped themselves at Afife in preparation for the attack.
On September 25, 2020, at about 1 am, the accused persons dressed in Western Togoland “T” shirts, armed with offensive weapon such as guns, cutlasses, cudgels among others went amok and blocked the Juapong-Akuse road at Abotoase junction and Juapong-Accra road at Akrade near the Customs check point.
They used logs to cross the road road and burnt lorry tyres in the middle of the it preventing road users from accessing road.
All the accused persons present at the crime scene executed the crime with pleasure wantonly displaying the flags of Western Togoland amidst chanting “we want freedom”.
Their action caused heavy vehicular traffic along that enclave of the road rendering passengers and travellers stranded. The accused persons fiercely engaged the military in a gun battle on their arrival at the scene.
They were however overpowered and arrested whiles others managed to escape.
On September 29, 2020, Dzreke Mawuena and Emmenuel Hayfor Afedo in the company of other accused persons now at large stormed the bus terminal of
STC, Ho and violently demanded for the ignition keys of the buses available but were denied.
They took offence and set two the buses ablaze and wen to hiding. Police intelligence led to their arrest.
The court is yet to take the accused persons plea on the facts yet to be read to the court. The case continues on November 18, 2020.