An Accra High Court has approved bail for Oliver Barker-Vormawor, setting the amount at GHC 20,000 with two sureties. As the head of the activist group Democracy Hub, he is required to report to the police twice a week.
Barker-Vormawor was detained for his involvement in a Democracy Hub protest and faces several charges for unlawful actions. TV3’s court correspondent, Laud Adu-Asare, reports that he has been denied bail three times since his arrest on September 23, 2024, with refusals from both the Accra Circuit Court and the High Court.
In a court session on October 16, the judge raised concerns about the possibility of Barker-Vormawor committing further offenses, highlighting his previous bail violations related to different charges.
During his last appearance on October 7, he was denied bail for the third time, with the judge directing the Circuit Court to begin his trial within 72 hours. The court noted that if the Circuit Court does not act within that period, Barker-Vormawor may be granted bail.
He is one of 53 protesters arrested for unlawful acts and for organizing an unauthorized protest. Notably, he is the last among these individuals to be granted bail. On October 7, the Accra High Court had already approved bail for 20 members of Democracy Hub who were charged with conducting an unlawful assembly in Accra.
In the Criminal Division of the High Court, presided over by Justice Comfort Kwasiwor Tasiame, nine of the accused were granted bail in the amount of GHC 70,000 each with two sureties. Additionally, eleven others received bail set at GHC 20,000 each with two sureties from the General Jurisdiction Division of the High Court, overseen by Justice Ayitey Armah-Tetteh.
The protesters were arrested on September 22 and 23 during an anti-galamsey demonstration in Accra. Following their arrests, the police charged them with various offenses, including unlawful assembly, conspiracy to commit a crime, unlawful damage, assaulting a public officer, and engaging in offensive conduct.
Credit:3News.
