Police Defy Court, Refuses To Release Bailed #FixTheCountry Convener

In another blatant disregard for the judiciary, the Ghana Police Service (GPS) refused to release the Convener of the #FixTheCountry pressure group, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, after the Tema High Court granted him bail earlier on Wednesday.

It took intense pressure from eminent personalities and lawyers of the incarcerated youth advocate to be released on Thursday, March 17, 2021, more than 24 hours after the court order.

A post by the pressure group said the officers holding Mr. Barker-Vormawor had said they were waiting for instructions from the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and that they had indicated that they intended to re-arrest him over a separate offence.

“We have just been informed by the Police that they have no intention of releasing our convenor Oliver Barker-Vormawor today. They say that they are awaiting further instructions from the Inspector-General of Police. According to the Commander, there is a likelihood that they will re-arrest and charge Oliver on a different offence,” the pressure group said.

It added that this was in spite of the fact that the lawyers had fulfilled all conditions regarding the bail conditions set by the High Court.

“We deplore the intentional abuse of power and the growing disregard for the rule of law in this country. The growing practice of blatant disregard by the Police for the authority of the Courts undermines our democracy and makes a mockery of commitment to abide by the Constitution,” the statement added.

Earlier, Mr. Barker-Vormawor had been granted bail in the sum of GHC 2 Million with 2 sureties, one of whom is to deposit documents to his landed property.

As part of the bail conditions, the man who is being held for a supposed treason felony was asked to leave his passport in the custody of the Republic, and report himself once a week to the police command.

Trial judge, Daniel Mensah had ruled that the Court could not disable itself from granting bail, after listening to legal arguments by both the defence and the state.

He disagreed with arguments of the position that Mr. Vormawor did not have a fixed place of abode having regard to the facts of the case; and that he was a flight risk since his passport was already in the custody of the Republic.

Mr. Vormawor is accused of threatening to overthrow the government after he threatened to stage a coup if the thievish e-levy is passed.

He was arrested on February 11, 2022. The activist has said he hopes the State will take his case to trial.

Meanwhile, this is not the first time the Police Service had defied a court order to grant bail to an accused person. Despite a High Court order for his bail, the GPS, for two years now, continues to keep in jail Gregory Afoko, the junior brother of Paul Afoko, the former National Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Gregory Afoko had controversially been charged for the murder of Adams Mahama, the former Upper East Regional Chairman of the NPP.

The GPS has been unable to produce incontrovertible evidence against Gregory Afoko, prompting the court to order the bail. But the Police administration in a typical display of its corruption had rubbished the court order.