The Tema High court has granted #Fixthecountry convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor a GHC2 million bail in the case of Treason Felony brought against him.
The bail term is also supposed to be accompanied by two sureties, one of whom must submit documents of landed property to the court.
This comes after his lawyers filed an application to the high court following his arrest on February 11, 2022.
The bail application was filed at the High Court following the refusal of the magistrate court to grant him bail on grounds of lack of jurisdiction relative to the charges he has been pressed with.
At its last sitting on the application, counsel for Barker-Vormawor led by lawyer Akoto-Ampaw argued that, the evidence of a statement shared by the activist in a Facebook post does not support the charges preferred against him by the state.
According to defense counsel, the post in which his client threatened to “do the coup” himself if governments proposed a 1.5% levy on electronic transactions is passed into law was only a conditional statement.
Lawyer Akoto Ampaw during the court sitting on March 16, 2022, reiterated his arguments whilst maintaining that his client in no way poses a flight risk.
According to him, despite the offensive nature of his client’s actions, his lawyers believe his rights to liberty must not be unduly clogged with the demand for justice.
Delivering the judgment on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, presiding judge, Justice Daniel Mensah directed that the accused presents himself in court once a week on a day scheduled by the police.
He also ruled that the passport of Barker-Vormawor must remain with the police.
This was after the prosecution, represented by Hilda Craig, requested that the bail conditions be set to ensure that the accused returns for trial.
State prosecutors also requested that the bail be set with justification owing to the severity of the case and the punishment.
Background:
One of the #FixTheCountry movement convenors, Barker-Vormawor, was remanded into police custody after being charged with Treason Felony on Monday, February 14, 2022.
Barker-Vormawor was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport on his arrival from London and was subsequently detained by the Tema Regional Police Command in connection with a post he allegedly made on Facebook.
Barker-Vormawor’s arrest is about a social media post he threatened to stage a coup if the E-levy currently under consideration in parliament is passed into law.
During his court appearance on February 14, 2022, the presiding judge, Her Honour Eleanor Barnes, said she does not have the jurisdiction to grant bail to the accused due to the nature of the offense.
She, however, urged the defense team to repeat their bail application at the High Court or challenge her ruling.
