[ 2017-03-09 ]

Some supporters of the group at the court premises

Ho Magistrate court declines to sit on treason case
A magistrate's court in the Volta regional capital
Ho has declined to sit on a case of treason
involving three persons arrested by police for
demanding the restoration of the Western
Togoland.

The three are part of a group calling itself the
Homeland Study Group Foundation and have for
decades, been fighting to secede a part of Volta
region from Ghana.

They are demanding the restoration of the Western
Togoland which according to them stretches from
Northern Region through the Upper East and Volta
regions to the Gulf of Guinea.

The three, including founder and chairman of the
group, Charles Kormi Kudjordji, were put before
the court Thursday after police arrested them
yesterday and charged them with treason.

Joy News correspondent Mawuli Yevu-Agbi said
earlier in the morning the case, which was
supposed to have been heard by the Ho High Court
was moved to the magistrate's court.

This, he said attracted a lot of attention.

According to him, the Magistrate declined to hear
the case. He said the court did not have
jurisdiction to hear a treason case.

A Police officer Nana Asomah Hinneh told Joy News
Wednesday that the activities of the men who were
arrested on March 6 were illegal.

He said one of the men, 57, was found distributing
T-shirts with an inscription which suggests that
on May 9, they are going to declare independence
of the Western Togoland with a different flag from
that of the republic of Ghana.

"May 9, 2017, is our day," was the inscription on
the back of the T-shirt, the police commander
said, explaining that was the reason they were
arrested and charged with treason.

"They told me they were educating people on the
Trans-Volta Togoland and I have been very
interested in that, but once they want to take a
part of Ghana, they must use the legal means by
going to the Supreme Court," he said.

But the lawyer for the group said wearing a
T-shirt with such an inscription does not in any
way constitute any act of treason, citing Article
19 clause 17 and 18 of the 1992 Constitution.

This Article states that;

"(17) Subject to clause (18) of this article,
treason shall consist only-

(a) in levying war against Ghana or assisting any
state or person or inciting or conspiring with any
person to levy war against Ghana; or

(b) in attempting by force of arms or other
violent means to overthrow the organs of
government established by or under this
Constitution; or

(c) in taking part or being concerned in or
inciting or conspiring with any person to make or
take part or be concerned in, any such attempt.

(18) An act which aims at procuring by
constitutional means an alteration of the law or
of the policies of the Government shall not be
considered as an act calculated to overthrow the
organs of government."

The lawyer said the police only saw people wearing
T-shirts and "we all know the meaning of our day
but if the police say that amounts to treason, we
can all witness the humiliation they have suffered
in court. We will follow them to see what they
would do."

At the end of the hearing, the accused were
returned to police custody.

After the Second World War, the political status
of British Togoland changed - it became a United
Nations Trust Territory, although still
administered by the United Kingdom.

During the decolonisation of Africa, a plebiscite
was organised in British Togoland in May 1956 to
decide the future of the territory. A majority of
voters taking part voted to merge the territory
with the neighbouring Gold Coast, a British Crown
colony.

On 13 December 1956, the United Nations General
Assembly passed General Assembly resolution 1044
on “The future of Togoland under British
administration”.

By that resolution, the UN acknowledged the
outcome of the plebiscite held in the Territory
which was a majority in favour of unity with Gold
Coast, later Ghana.

Source - Myjoyonline.com

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