Angry judge adjourns Barker-Vormawor’s case over prosecution’s absence
The Ashaiman District Court was compelled to adjourn the case of #FixTheCountry Movement Convener Oliver Barker-Vormawor, following the prosecution’s absence.
No prosecutor was present when the case was called on Tuesday morning.
The case of the youth activist, slapped with a provisional charge of treason felony, was subsequently adjourned to Tuesday, 29 March 2022.
The absence of the state prosecutors left the trial judge Eleanor Barnes Botwe infuriated.
She warned that she would not tolerate such conduct.
“I want to see seriousness in this case. I will not countenance this attitude. If at the next date this happens again, the court will advise itself,” she said.
At the last adjourned date, the prosecution team was directed to speed up the process of filing all disclosures for the commencement of the trial, but that has not been done.
Counsel for the youth activist, Dr Justice Srem Sai, who was also disappointed, urged the court to discharge the accused since the prosecution did not seem interested in the case.
The judge, however, decided to give the prosecution a second window to put their house in order.
She remanded the accused as she noted that this was the first time the prosecution had failed to show up in court.
In a related development, Barker-Vormawor said he is prepared and ready to face the state in a treason felony case.
His concern was whether the state would hold its end of the bargain and begin with processes necessary for the commencement of the trial.
The youth activist made this known on Monday, 14 March 2022, during his bail application hearing at the Tema High Court.
He was responding to concerns from the judge about his health status since earlier reports suggested that he was unwell and had been taken to the Police Hospital.
“I am in good health. I am prepared to stand trial. I do hope they take me to trial,” he said.
Background
The accused was arrested on February 11 by the Tema Regional Police Command following a post he allegedly made on social media to the effect that he would stage a coup himself if the E-Levy Bill was passed by Parliament.
“The post contained a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the constitution of the Republic of Ghana,” the police statement dated 12 February 2022, signed by the Director-General of Public Affairs, DCOP Kwesi Ofori said.
After his post, a section of Ghanaians who found his comments distasteful poured out on social media to call the Ghana Police Service to arrest him.
He was arraigned on Monday, 14 February 2022, and has been on remand since his first Ashaiman District court appearance.
Mr Barker-Vormawor has been charged with a treason felony, but he pleaded innocence.