Court orders Police to file disclosures for secessionist trial

An Accra Circuit Court has ordered the Police to file their disclosures in the case in which Anthony Dormekpo a driver from Akatsi is being held for allegedly transporting over 20 persons to a military ground at Dzodze.

Adjourning the matter to April 3, the court asked the Police to file their disclosures.

Dormekp is alleged to be a member of the so-called Western Togoland Secessionists Group.

He is being held on charges of attending a meeting of a prohibited organization namely Western Togoland organization and participating in a campaign of a prohibited organization namely Western Togoland.

Dormekpo has denied the charges and the court presided over by Ellen Offei Ayeh remanded him into lawful custody.

He was standing trial with 20 others but they were discharged because the prosecution had described them as “victims of circumstances”

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Simon Apiosornu earlier narrated that Dormekpo resides at Akatsi in the Volta Region and on Monday, February 17, this year, personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) following several days of intelligence gathering on the activities of the so-called Western Togoland Secessionists group, a prohibited organization, arrested the accused and 20 others at Dzodze in the Ketu North Municipality of the Volta Region.

The prosecution said the 20 persons including a female have been lured to recruit into the alleged Military Wing of the group.

According to prosecution, the accused who is a member of the group together with others now at large recruited the 20 individuals under the guise of protocol enlistment into the Ghana Armed Forces, whiles others were recruited to work in a farm allegedly owned by a certain Whiteman.

The prosecution said the individuals were made to pay ¢400.00 and ¢800.00 each as registration fees through a mobile money (MOMO) number in the name of Samuel Gafa currently on the run, while others paid cash.

The Prosecution said these individuals were made to assemble at Dodze and the accused accommodated five of them at his home at Akatsi for a week before transporting them to Dzodze en-route to the training camp of the Western Togoland guerilla army to commence training in a forest at Dzodze.

He said during investigations, it was revealed that the 20 recruits arrested were deceived into believing that they were being recruited into the Ghana Armed Forces and also to work on a farm.