So-called secessionists group remanded, Octogenarian granted bail

One of the eight people claiming to secede part of the Volta region from Ghana was on Wednesday granted bail by an Accra High Court, while seven other accomplices were remanded by the court.

The 85-year-old Chairman of the so-called Homeland Study Group Foundation, Mr Charles Kormi Kudjordji, was granted bail by the court in the sum of GH¢250,000 with two sureties, one to be justified.

The accused will also report himself to the Police on Mondays and Thursdays. The three-member panel court presided over by Justice Jerome Noble Nkrumah with Justice Ekow Baiden and Mrs Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe as members, also remanded the remaining seven accused persons into Police custody to reappear on May 22.

They are Mr Bisa Akorli, 54, Mr Kofi Dzreke, 39, Mr Thompson Tsigbe, 58, Mr Benjamin Agbadzada, 48, Mr Agbenyega Akudzi, 54, Mr Freemen Blikaku, 36, and Mr Nkpe Tsryiri Kudzo aged 61.

They were charged with conspiracy to commit treason felony, abetment of unlawful training, unlawful assembly and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace.

Mr Kudjordji prayed the court for bail, indicating that when the trial commenced the court would know the details.

He said, he had no opportunity to consult his lawyers, since he, together with the others were brought straight from Ho to Accra and locked up until Monday morning.

The rest of the accused persons also associated themselves with the submissions of the first accused person.

Mrs Winifred Sarpong, a Senior State Attorney opposed the bail application, saying it was not the first time the so-called group had committed such offences.

She said in 2017, the eight accused were arrested and bonded.

She told the court that upon their arrest, the security agencies got to know that they intended to declare the Volta Region as an independent State on May 9, 20I9.

"My Lord, the fear is that if they are granted bail, they will go back and accomplish their mission of declaring independence on May 9," she said.

The Senior State Attorney told the court that the State decided to arraign the accused persons at the High Court because of the 48-hour rule.

She said the accused persons were supposed to be arraigned at the District Court but the Districts Court in Accra do not have jurisdiction over the case since they were arrested in Ho.

She said it was because the High Court has jurisdiction over all criminal cases, they decided to arraign the accused persons there.

The eight were arrested by a combined team of police and military personnel in Ho Sunday, May 5 in a house, while holding a meeting to allegedly to arrange to declare the Volta Region an independent state on May 9, 20I9.