Sunyani, Dec. 11, GNA - Five Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM) Activists, who were arrested for allegedly breaking the Public Order Act, received tumultuous welcome when they returned home to Yamfo after they had been granted bail. People, who had heard about the case and had thronged the court premises broke into wild jubilation when the Suyani Circuit Court 'A' presided over by Mr G.H.K. Debrah, eventually decided to grant them bail.
Abdullah Salifu; Ali Baba; Alhassan Adams; Mohammed Tininye and Jacob Amenofe were granted 50 million cedis bail each with a surety. The Activists were dragged to court for allegedly breaching a section of the Public Order Act at Yamfo in the Brong Ahafo Region on November 27, 2006. They are to reappear before the Court on December 19, 2006.
The Brong Ahafo Regional Police Command arrested them for allegedly holding a public meeting without permit and calling a meeting in the name of Newmount Gold Ghana Limited. They were charged for breaking section one of the Public Order Act 143 of 1994 and were remanded in prison custody for two weeks, on November 30, 2006 to reappear on Monday December 11, 2006. Granting them bail, Mr Debrah said the bench warrant he issued for the arrest of Mr Ibrahim Aidara, a Senegalese, who is the West African Regional Governance Advisor of Oxfam America, and his driver George Yeboah on November 30, was still pending.
Mr Aidara was reported to have left the country at the time of the arrest.
The Counsel for the accused persons Mr Anthony Namoo filed a motion at the Suyani High Court against the decision of the inferior court to refuse the Activists bail on the grounds that mining communities were always up in arms against mining companies and he wanted to use that as a deterrent to others.
Mr Namoo on November 30 challenged the inadequate facts presented by the Prosecutor and asked for bail for his clients but Mr Debrah refused.
The High Court presided over by Justice Ato Assan advised Mr Namoo to come back on December 12 2006 if the inferior court refused the Activists bail at today's sitting.
Justice Assan said he was a little averse, granting bail when a matter was pending at an inferior court unless he had a cause to believe that the inferior court was not acting properly.
"What I don't want to do is something that would undermine the authority of the lower court, the advice I can give you is to ask for bail at the lower court again since December 12 is so close" he said. As the convoy carrying the Activists got out of the court premises many people ran to the road side to hail and wave at them. At Abesim and Sunsanso, both towns on road to Yamfo, people were attracted to the roadside by the tooting of horns and rushed to wave at them.
At Yamfo a large crowd had gathered to receive them. The Activists told them that they were more than determined to resist attempts by the Neo-Colonialists to re-colonise Ghana and to under develop it with their collaborators. BDB 11 Dec. 06
