The Accra High Court has sentenced five people who were jailed in the Volta Region for their participation in activities aimed at usurping Ghana’s executive power.
The five were among several people arrested for violent demonstrations organized by the separatist group, the Homeland Study Group (HSG), which led to an attack on the Aveyime and Mepe police armories in the Volta Region where they stole some weapons, ammunition, police patrol vehicles, and others after successfully overpowering the police officers on duty.
Ebenezer Gblorkpor, Afetorgbor Kpogo, Joseph Nyamewu, Wisdom Kuvor and Israel Bessah Kpexor were dragged to court on charges of attending a meeting of a prohibited organization contrary to section 2(1)(b) SMCD 20, and making donations to the funds of a prohibited organization.
He was also charged with participating in the campaign of a prohibited organization contrary to section 2 (1) (d) and being a member of a prohibited organization contrary to section 2 (1) (i) of SMCD 20.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, but the court presided over by Judge Mary Yanzuh, at the end of the trial stated that the Attorney General’s Office could prove the charges against the accused.
The court later found the accused guilty and sentenced him. However, he postponed his sentence until March 21, 2023.
Convicts will be fined up to GH¢12,000 or imprisoned for up to five years. The court also has the authority to sentence convicts to fines and imprisonment.
According to the facts of the prosecution, the accused had a plan to ‘separate’ from Ghana and according to which they had divided into various groups to carry out the plan.
On September 25, 2020, one of the group including the accused, when armed went to the Aveyime and Mepe police station where they beat the police officer on duty and freed the cell prisoner.
The inmates then entered the armory and stole 17 AK47 assault rifles, five pump action rifles, one shotgun, two Mack 3 rifles, three SMG rifles, 11 rubber bullets, 25 rounds of 37mm tear gas cartridges, about 300 rounds of AK47 ammunition and a police patrol vehicle at the Aveyime police station.
They also stole a police patrol vehicle with registration number GP 195, then attacked the barracks and stole money and other belongings belonging to policemen and their families.
A police team was sent from Sogakokpe to restore order in Aveyime and Mepe but when they got to Aveyime, the team was attacked by members of the West Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF), an offshoot of the HSG.
The statement said three police officers were injured and their leader, Chief Superintendent Dennis Fiakpui, was shot.
Amid roadblocks and attacks on Aveyime and Mepe police stations, WTRF members also chanted “freedom of freedom”.
Source: dailyguidenetwork.com/
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