Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Prof. Henry Kwasi Prempeh, is unimpressed about how #FixTheCountry Movement convenor is being treated by the judiciary.

According to him, the ongoing process seems to be tailored to punish Oliver Barker-Vamawor through state machinery.

Mr Barker-Vormawor has been remanded again and is expected to reappear in Court on March 15, 2022.

He was charged with a treason felony on February 14, 2022. This is an offence provided for in section 182(b) of Ghana’s Criminal offences Act.

The CDD-Ghana boss described as petty, the fact that the accused is still being kept in custody two weeks down the line.

“What exactly is the point of continuing to hold Oliver behind bars? This blatant abuse of power and the judicial process must stop. It is wrong, needless, petty, and dangerous!” he said.

On Monday, February 28, the Ashaiman District Court ordered the removal of Oliver Barker-Vormawor from its premises.

The youth activist had engaged in heated exchanges with the magistrate, Eleanor Barnes Botwe.

His lawyers, led by Justice Srem Sai, had inquired about the Court’s authority to deal with matters that affect the liberty of the Cambridge PhD student.

Barker-Vormawor was later heard lashing out at the ongoing legal processes against him, describing it as a sham.

“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. However, the Court ruled that it had jurisdiction to handle the current processes filed by the prosecutors.

Background

Mr Barker-Vormawor was charged with a treason felony on February 14, 2022. This is an offence provided for in section 182(b) of Ghana’s Criminal offences Act.

This provides; “Section 182—Treason Felony. A person is guilty of treason-felony and shall be punishable as for first-degree felony who —

b) prepares or endeavours to carry out by unlawful means any enterprise which usurps the executive power of the State in any matter of both a public and a general nature.“

The youth activist is accused of threatening to stage a coup should the E-Levy policy be passed.

“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.