I’ve been cooperating, treason felony charge baseless – Barker-Vormawor to AG

#FixTheCountry Movement convener Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who has been in detention for a month over his coup threat on social media, has, in his affidavit to counter that of the Attorney General in which the Minister of Justice is praying the court to deny him bail, said the treason felony charge levelled against him is baseless.

Mr Godfred Dame, in his affidavit, accused Mr Barker-Vormawor of not cooperating with the security agencies despite two court orders to that effect.

He, thus, prayed the Tema High Court to refuse the bail application of the youth activist.

According to Mr Dame, in addition to refusing investigators access to his mobile phone as ordered by the court, the accused person has also refused to disclose his place of abode in Ghana for a search to be conducted, despite the court having granted a warrant for that purpose.

For those reasons, the AG argues that it would be untenable to grant Mr Barker-Vormawor bail.

“That, having regard to the nature of the offence and the punishment which conviction will entail, the applicant, a person with no fixed place of abode in Ghana is not likely to appear to stand trial if granted bail,” Mr Dame said.

Mr Barker-Vormawor, however, said: “I will make myself readily available to go through the present criminal proceedings and as I have done and continue to fully cooperate with any investigations which this criminal process may entail”.

He continued that for “one whole month into my arrest and detention (and as at the time of deposing to this Affidavit), the Respondent is yet to charge me with the offence of Treason Felony or take a statement from me in respect of that charge”.

The Cambridge PhD student noted: “I am advised by counsel, and I verily believe the same to be true that the Respondent have no genuine or reasonable or probable cause for my arrest or continuous detention”.

“I am, again, advised by counsel, and I verily believe the same to be true that the offence of Treason Felony is not supported by the facts of this case (including all the depositions in the Respondent’s affidavit in opposition).

“Finally, I am advised by counsel, and I verily believe the same to be true that this is a proper case where this honourable Court ought to exercise its jurisdiction to grant me bail pending trial and to make any other order(s) which the Court deems fit.”

The court could not hear the bail application on Thursday since the lawyers of the accused person said they had just received the AG’s document.

The case has been adjourned to Monday, 14 March 2022.