Secessionist trial: 25 accused persons granted GH₵2.5m bail
After nearly three months in police custody, 25 accused secessionists have been granted bail by the Accra Circuit Court.
The 25 accused persons who have been in custody since September have been granted GH₵100, 000 bail sum each with two sureties.
Thus, a combined sum of GH₵2.5million. In addition to the bail sum, the two sureties must be public servants earning not less than GH₵4,000.
The accused persons who have been slapped with charges of treason felony, rioting with weapons are to report to the police twice every week.
The judge Emmanuel Essandoh held that the accused persons have been in custody for a long time and it was unfair for prosecution to continue to keep them in custody on grounds of investigations.
Also, four out of the 29 who were in court on Tuesday were discharged after the prosecutor ASP Slyvester Asare presented an amended fact sheet.
Bail argument
Counsel for the suspected Western Togoland secessionists on several occasions slammed the state for its inhumane treatment of the suspects.
They argued that the accused persons have been deprived of their fundamental human rights, which includes food, cloth, water to bath and a place to sleep.
“You have uprooted them from their region, you keep them here and then say you need more time, more time to do what. The fact that this has become a national issue does not mean the right of these people can be trampled upon,” they argued.
Theophilus Donkor, Benedict Kofi Kyei, Sem Iroko, Benson Dennis Seyram and George Asomani are the counsel for the accused persons.
The 29 accused persons are Nene Kwaku Agblorm II, Ernest Kpevu, Devine Seddoh, Bright Klutsey, Selasi Gbadago, Gilbert Nyadzino, Benjamin Gabadago, Felix Sosa, Lawrence Nyadzinor and Excel Liberty Aheto Kuegbesika.
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The others are Divine Nyadzinor, Godwin Awudza, William Amenor, Agbemenya Dotse, Louise Nyadzinor, Mawulolo Ahorble, Fiave Joeffery, George Akweti, Noah Ahiatorgah, Samuel Gbolomo and Raphael Tettevi,
The rest are James Nanewortor, Abednego Dreke Mawuena, Emmanuel Hayford 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.
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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.
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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 buses ablaze. Police intelligence led to their arrest.
The case continues on January 5, 2021.