General News of Wednesday, 2 March 2022
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2022-03-02Keeping Barker-Vormawor in custody ‘petty’, ‘beneath reason’ - Kofi Bentil slams Police
Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor is one of the conveners for #FixTheCountry Movement
Barker-Vormawor arrested for threatening to stage coup
#FixTheCountry Movement decry abuse of Barker-Vormawor's rights
Barker-Vormawor remanded into custody for another two weeks
A Senior Vice President of IMANI-Africa, Kofi Bentil, has expressed unhappiness with the continued detention of #FixTheCountry convener, Oliver Barker–Vormawor.
In a post on his social media handle, Mr. Bentil described the holding of Barker–Vormawor by Police as "petty and beneath reason."
“FREE VORMAWOR.
Read full article.keeping him in Jail is petty and beneath reason,” Bentil posted on his Facebook timeline.
It will be recalled that pressure group, #FixTheCountry Movement sounded alarm bells over the arrest of their convener on Friday, February 11.
According to the group, Mr. Barker-Vormawor was ‘abducted’ by state security operatives when he touched down from the United Kingdom at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
Confirming his arrest in a statement, the police said the lawyer and activist had been arrested in connection with a threat to stage a coup if the E-Levy is passed.
He was subsequently arraigned before the Ashaiman Magistrate Court on Monday, February 14, where he was slapped with a treason felony charge.
At a recent court hearing on February 28, Barker-Vormawor was remanded again and is expected to reappear in Court on March 15, 2022.
During his February 28 appearance, the accused had a heated exchange with the presiding Magistrate, Eleanor Barnes Botwe.
Counsel for the accused, Justice Srem Sai had sought to inquire about the Court’s authority to deal with matters that affect the liberty of his client.
The magistrate indicated that the District Court did not have the authority to do that unless they seek bail from the High Courts.
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,” he yelled.
This made the magistrate order his removal from the Court.
