Barker-Vormawor verbally charges at judge, thrown out & whisked away by police

There was drama at the Ashaiman District Court on Monday, when #FixTheCountry Movement convener, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who has been charged with treason felony was unceremoniously thrown out of court and whisked away by Police personnel.

The magistrate, Eleanor Barnes Botwe, ordered the removal of the embattled youth activist from the room when the latter sought to engage her in a banter.

The furore started after the E-Levy "coup" advocate's lawyers challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case.

His lawyers had questioned the court's authority saying “whether this court has the jurisdiction to determine the personal liberty of my client, for there is no point in bringing the prisoner to a court for his liberty to be decided when that court has no capacity or jurisdiction to determine this”.

The magistrate had explained to Mr. Barker-Vormawor and his legal team that she had the authority to remand the accused person and that the appropriate place for them to request bail is the High Court.

But scarcely had the judge offered her explanation when Mr. Barker-Vormawor interjected saying “we have not asked for bail. This is a kangaroo process. The bench has not covered itself in glory. I am not going to glorify a sham”.

Not even repeated admonishing from the Judge to remain silent went heeded, compelling the magistrate to ask the Police to forcefully escort the accused from her presence.

Background

Oliver Barker-Vormawor was charged with a treason felony on February 14, 2022, after being accused of threatening to stage a coup in Ghana.

“If this E-Levy passes after this cake bullshit, I will do the coup myself. Useless Army!” he posted on Facebook on February 9.

He was subsequently arrested on Friday, February 11, 2022, as the Police argued that the “post contains 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”.

His lawyers led by Anthony Akoto Ampaw, on February 14, urged the court to grant him bail.