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The High Court in Accra has cleared Oliver Barker-Vormawor of all charges, allowing him to go free. He is a social activist who was accused of trying to overthrow the government.
In 2022, Mr. Barker-Vormawor faced treason charges after National Security arrested him. This happened because he threatened to lead a coup if Parliament passed the E-Levy bill, which later became law.
His arrest and the charges against him led to much public discussion and criticism, especially from groups worried about freedom of speech in Ghana.
The treason trial caused Mr. Barker-Vormawor to lose his scholarship at Cambridge.
His case is one of several that the new Attorney General has decided not to pursue. This decision marks a change from the previous administration, which had started these cases.
The legal process dragged on for two years, mainly because the Prosecution did not have much evidence besides Mr. Barker-Vormawor’s social media activities. He was considered a flight risk and could have faced the death penalty or life in prison if found guilty.
The new Attorney General’s decision to end the trial adds to a list of high-profile cases that have been dropped since they took office.
When the court met on Tuesday morning, March 18, neither Mr. Barker-Vormawor nor his lawyers attended.
Principal state attorney Esi Dentaa Yankah, representing the Prosecution, was ready to proceed with the case.
In a rather brief proceedings, the trial judge Justice Mary Ekua Yanzu acknowledged that a Nolle prosequi had been filed by the Attorney General, and subsequently declared that “the charges have been struck out and the accused person has been discharged”.
NKONKONSA.com
