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Attach Seriousness To Treason Felony Charge Against Barker-Vormawor – Court To Prosecutors
The Ashaiman District Court has asked state prosecutors to attach seriousness to the treason felony charge filed against Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a convenor of the #FixTheCountry movement.
The court gave the warning Tuesday morning (March 15, 2022) when the case came up for hearing and the prosecution was absent in court.
“The court cannot wait for anyone and if the state is interested in pursuing the case, it ought to show all seriousness, because I will not take any unseriousness on the part of the state in connection with this case,” the court, presided over by Mrs Eleanor Kakra Barnes-Botchway said.
The absence of the prosecution saw the legal team of Barker-Vormawor praying the court to discharge him since the state was showing a lack of interest in the case.
Counsel for Barker-Vormawor, Dr Justice Srem-Sai argued that the prosecution has still not formally charged him with the offence and has also not submitted any bill of indictment.
“We have realised that the prosecution has lost interest totally in pursuing the case and we insist the facts in court do not support the charge of treason felony and we pray accordingly, we pray the court to discharge the accused”, Dr Srem-Sai said.
Barker-Vormawor on Tuesday displayed a sheet with the inscription, “Still, Justice for SALL [Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi and Likpe].
Prosecution
A prosecutor, Chief Inspector George Doe who later came to hold brief for DSP Sylvester Asare who has been handling the case since it started, requested for an hour break to enable him receive instructions from DSP Asare.
“Although I have not received any instructions from DSP Sylvester Asare who is the Prosecutor in the case, I think it is too early for the defence to pray for the accused to be discharged”, Chief Inspector Doe who moved in after proceedings had started argued.
He also argued that the state had on previous sittings indicated that the crime was an indictable offence and by the nature of the case, “prosecution needed to furnish the Attorney-General with the case for advice”, he said.
He said the trial can only take place when the prosecution receives the advice from the A-G to formally charge the accused to go through the committal proceedings.
Court
The judge, Mrs Barnes-Botchway wondered why the prosecution would fail to appear in court and its representatives also coming in after proceedings had commenced.
“The court cannot wait for anyone and if the state is interested in pursuing the case, it ought to show all seriousness, because I will not take any unseriousness on the part of the state in connection with this case,” the judge said.
The court, therefore, remanded Barker-Vormawor into police custody for another two weeks to re-appear on March 29, 2022.
Search Warrant
Barker-Vormawor’s lawyers also attempted to seek the leave of the court to appeal a search warrant it had earlier issued in connection with the accused’s mobile phone, however, the court said since the prosecution was not readily available, the application would not be taken.
The lawyers were urged to table the motion on the next adjourned date.
Source: graphiconline.com
The Global Network of Export-Import Banks and Development Finance Institutions (G-NEXID) successfully held its sixth (6th) Exchange Programme, hosted by the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) Bank in Accra from March 22 to 23 March.
The event brought together member institutions, partner organisations and Ghanaian public entities to advance dialogue on South-South trade, investment and development finance, while also creating opportunities for knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Organised as a capacity-building and networking platform, the 2026 edition of the G-NEXID Exchange focused on GEXIM’s experience in developing innovative solutions to promote intra-African and extra-African trade.
It also highlighted trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and broader national development initiatives.
The Exchange Programme forms part of G-NEXID’s mandate to foster cooperation among export-import banks and development finance institutions in support of South-South trade and investment.
This 6th edition follows earlier successful programmes hosted by India Exim Bank (2016), BNDES (2017), Indonesia Eximbank (2018), Afreximbank (2019) and Saudi EXIM Bank (2025).
On the first day, participants were presented with G-NEXID institutional information and received an update on the Network’s 2026 work programme.
There were a series of substantive presentations, including an overview of the Ghanaian economy by the Ministry of Finance, with particular attention to debt-related challenges; a presentation by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), on investment opportunities in the country; and institutional presentations by GEXIM and Development Bank Ghana (DBG) on their respective mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Discussions during the sessions underscored strong interest in sector-focused webinars and business dialogues, particularly in agribusiness value chains such as poultry and rice.
Participants also emphasized the importance of continued information exchange and the sharing of best practices, especially in the area of guarantees.
The second day opened with a presentation on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, a national economic transformation strategy launched by President John Dramani Mahama in July 2025.
The initiative aims to enhance economic productivity through continuous industrial activity, accelerated export development and strategic import substitution.
As the programme is expected to mobilise both private and development capital, it presents concrete opportunities for G-NEXID members in areas such as co-financing, guarantees, trade finance and technical cooperation.
The programme also featured institutional presentations by guest organisations, namely the African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) and the West African Development Bank (BOAD), which shared their mandates, initiatives, products and services.
Following these exchanges, the G-NEXID Secretariat held bilateral discussions with both institutions as part of the Network’s ongoing membership drive.
Participants further benefited from a presentation by the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), as well as a showcase of GEXIM’s key pipeline projects.
On the margins of the Exchange Programme, G-NEXID members also held their 20th Annual General Assembly Meeting to review progress and discuss strategic priorities.
Following the event, participants joined the GEXIM@10 International Conference, held from March 24-25, 2026 under the theme, “A Decade of Enabling Export Trade and Industrial Transformation: Resetting GEXIM for the Next Frontier.”
The conference provided an important platform for exploring how Ghana can strengthen its transition from a primary commodity exporter to a more competitive player in value-added trade and industrial development.
Source – G-NEXID
President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, signed five bills including three amendment bills passed by Parliament into law.
They are: Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025; University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Bill, 2025; Ghana Deposit Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025; Growth and Sustainability Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Education Regulatory Bodies (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
In a brief remark after assenting to the bills, President Mahama explained that the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2026, scraps the Office of Minister of National Security and frees the President’s to appoint any Minister to supervise the security agencies.
He said it also reverses the name of the office of National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to the original name, Bureau of National Intelligence, (BNI).
This the President said, addresses the confusion between that security agency and a well-known Ghanaian financial institution, the National Investment Bank.
President Mahama also noted that the University of Engineering and Agricultural Sciences Act, 2026, establishes another University in the Eastern Region, at Bonsu, with three campuses – the main campus at Bonsu in the Eastern Region, with the second campus to be cited at Ohawu in the Oti Region.
The third, the Presdient assed will be located at Acherensua in the Ahafo Region.
Touching on the Amendment to the Growth and Sustainability Levy Act, the President said, “As you’re aware, the act was amended to increase it from 1% to 3%, and so this act reduces it again. That is the levy on mining companies. It reduces it again to 1%, because of the introduction of the sliding scale of royalties.”
He also spoke to the passage of the Government Education Regulatory Bodies Amendment Act, emphasising that amends Act 1023 to grant greater flexibility to private tertiary institutions and the option to Charter.
The Ghana Deposit Protection Amendment Act, the President concluded, is an amendment to an original act that was supposed to guarantee deposits held in commercial banks or financial institutions.
It basically expands protection to include mobile money wallets and other digital platforms, ensuring a wider scope of digital financial assets are secured.
The signing ceremony, was witnessed by the Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a Senior Presidential Advisor and a Special Aide to the President, Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, and the Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang.
