Convenor for #FixTheCountry Movement Oliver Barker-Vormawor is expected back in court today (Monday, 14 March 2022) for his bail application and the substantive case of a coup plot.
The bail application was initially set to be heard last Thursday, 10 March, but got adjourned when the Attorney General informed the court of an affidavit in opposition.
Mr Barker-Vormawor is facing a provisional charge of treason felony after a social media post suggested that he intended to stage a coup himself over the controversial e-levy.
He has been in police custody since 11 February 2022, when he was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport.
Mr Barker-Vormawor legal team asked for a week to study the affidavit in opposition to his bail application, filed by the Attorney General and respond appropriately.
Among other things, the affidavit filed in opposition insists the social media firebrand has refused to cooperate with police investigations.
The affidavit claims he has “blatantly refused to comply” with a 17 February 2022 District Court Order to give the police access to his phone by unlocking the same to enable them to conduct a search on the phone as part of the investigations.
Again, the affidavit claims that a search warrant was issued on 16 February 2022 “for a search to be conducted on the residences of the applicant, but he has failed to show the police any fixed place of abode within Ghana, thereby rendering it impossible for the search warrant to be executed.
Police investigations also show that the social media firebrand has no fixed place of abode in Ghana, thus making him a flight risk. The Attorney General contends that Mr Barker-Vormawor “is not likely to appear to stand trial if granted bail.”
But the youth activist has denied claims that he refuses to cooperate with the police in investigations over his coup charges, as suggested by the Attorney General.
Mr Barker-Vormawor insists upon being presented with the search warrant and personally leading the police to conduct a thorough search at his home and all the other places mentioned in the warrant.
Regarding his mobile phone, he explained that when he received the warrant, his lawyers wrote to the Inspector General of Police, imploring him to put in place the necessary arrangements for the search to be conducted in accordance with the warrant.
He has promised to submit himself to the court if granted bail.
“I will make myself readily available to go through the present criminal proceedings and, as I have done, continue to fully cooperate with any investigations which this criminal process may entail,” he assured.
Background
The accused was arrested on 11 February 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 Parliament passed the controversial Electronic Levy (E-Levy) Bill.
“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 treason felony, but he pleaded not guilty.
The Tema High Court will decide his fate today.