News
Oliver Vormawor denied bail; Felicity Nelson, four others granted GH₵20k bail
The High Court has refused to grant bail to Oliver Barker Vormawor, a lead figure in the Democracy Hub protest while granting GH₵20,000 bail to Felicity Nelson and four other co-accused.
The court’s ruling also directed the Circuit Court to begin prosecution within 72 hours, warning that failure to do so could result in reconsideration of Vormawor’s bail.
The denial of bail for Barker Vormawor stems from his prior release on bail for treason felony charges when the Democracy Hub protest-related offences allegedly occurred.
The presiding judge voiced concerns that releasing him on bail might lead to further offences, citing the Criminal Procedure Act, section 96(5c), which allows courts to deny bail if there is a reasonable fear that the accused will commit another crime.
Barker Vormawor’s legal representative, Justice Srem Sai, argued that the court’s primary concern should be whether the accused would stand trial if granted bail, highlighting Vormawor’s consistent court appearances over the past three years in his treason case.
Srem Sai argued that his client would not evade trial for the comparatively lesser misdemeanours in the current case.
Despite these points, the court stood by its decision, maintaining that the risk of potential re-offending justified denying Vormawor’s bail request.
Meanwhile, Felicity Nelson and four other individuals involved in the same case were granted bail under less restrictive conditions.
The court’s decision comes after Ama Governor and eight other protesters were each granted GH₵70000 bail.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
News
Afenyo Markin criticises Police over handling of Abronye’s case
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo Markin has raised concerns about the handling of the arrest and detention of Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye.
According to him, the police invited Abronye on Monday, September 8, and he honoured the invitation with his lawyers.
He said Abronye submitted himself to interrogation but, within an hour, was taken into the custody of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
The Minority Leader questioned why the police, who were investigating the case and had their own holding cells, decided to send someone being investigated for a misdemeanor to the NIB.
He intimated that checks confirmed that the NIB was not investigating or interrogating Abronye, but had only kept him because the police requested it.
He wondered whether the move was meant to punish Abronye, stressing that the police detained him the whole of Monday night and Tuesday morning, before presenting him to court on 9th September.
The Minority Leader added that in court, the police asked for Abronye to be remanded to allow further investigations, and the judge granted the request.
He however described it as unfortunate that the police handcuffed Abronye when he was leaving the court.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Power Is like an ice block, it melts from day one – Afenyo-Markin warns
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has urged political leaders to learn from past mistakes and handle power with caution.
Speaking at the Accra Circuit Court for Abronye DC proceedings, Afenyo-Markin admitted that governments in the past, including his own side, had made mistakes and were not perfect.
He warned that if such mistakes were repeated, the country could be heading in the wrong direction.
He pointed to the removal of a former Chief Justice as an example, saying a report was prepared even before a committee hearing was completed.
According to him, such actions make it difficult to control extremists and hardliners in Ghana’s politics.
The Minority Leader stressed that power is temporary and must be exercised responsibly.
“Power is like an ice block, When it’s given to you, it starts to melt from the very day,” he noted.
By: Jacob Aggrey
