Court deny Ghanaian anti-illegal mining protester Oliver Barker-Vormawor bail, keep am for police custody
Circuit court for Ghana don deny anti-illegal mining protester and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor bail togeda wit 12 odas.
Di activist wey police charge wit multiple counts plead not guilty as im appear for court.
Police charge Oliver along oda protesters wit conspiracy to commit crime, unlawful assembly, unlawful damage, defacement of property and assault on public officer.
Police also bin charge Oliver wit anoda charge of stealing.
But as im appear bifor di Circuit court on Thursday as dem carry am from di hospital, Oliver tok say im no dey guilty.
Lawyers for di activist bin argue for court say make dem grant am bail sake of say "di police hospital no fit provide am wit proper care".
But di state prosecutor tok say di police hospital get di capacity to treat am.
Di lawyers tell di court say di police neva feed di protesters as dem dey custody since Sunday.
But di prosecutor tok say di police dey give dem food; a claim di relatives of di protesters bin deny.
Di judge keep all di 13 pipo for police custody, to reappear on 8 October.
Dis don dey add to di 39 wey di court remand some to police and prison custody.
Human rights lawyer Martin Kpebu tok say im dey shocked say di court remand one pregnant woman among di protesters into custody.
Wia dis foto come from, Oliver Barker Vormawor/Facebook
On Wednesday, Oliver Barker-Vormawor bin dey admitted for hospital afta im fall sick for police custody.
Police tok say Oliver and one oda pesin Fanny Otoo also bin dey sick wey im also dey admitted for police hospital.
Police bin carry 11 more pipo go di court wia dem charge dem wit conspiracy to commit crime (unlawful assembly), causing unlawful damage, assault on public officer and one new charge - stealing.
Lawyers for di 11 argue say make di court grant di pipo bail.
But di court remand dem for one day and tok say dem go determine dia bail application on Thursday.
Di 11 pipo togeda wit 39 wey di court bin remand for police and prison custody, dey bring di total number of pipo to 50.
Lawyer for some of di pipo Nelson Noble Amedewonu tok say dem dey surprised say di police don add anoda charge of stealing
Im also argue say one of di pipo no dey sound mind as im no dey part of di protest bifor police don arrest am.
“Dis particular pesin from di way im dey tok, neva dey sound mind to demonstrate. Im only go di place to ask for food bifor dem arrest am, dis kai pesin gatz dey hospital for psychiatric examination,” counsel Nelson Noble Amedewonu tok journalists outside court.
Widespread condemnation as Ghana court remand 39 protesters for custody
Pressure bin dey mount on di state to release ova 40 pipo wey police arrest ova di weekend during 3-day protest against illegal gold mining (galamsey) for Ghana.
Circuit court don remand 28 of dem for police custody afta police don charge dem wit conspiracy to commit crime (unlawful assembly), damage of property, offensive conduct and assault on public officer.
Di court don deny dem bail and adjourn hearing to 11 October.
11 odas dey remanded for prison custody as di judge no take dia plea.
Dis group go reappear for court on 8 October.
Di court also don issue bench warrant for one oda pesin.
Relatives of di pipo dey arrest no see dem for three days
Family members of di arrested pipo storm di court to see dia relatives as police bin prevent dem and dia lawyers from seeing dem until dem carry dem go court.
One pesin im name Akwesi Addo tok journalists say im sister wey be sick wit asthma and diabetes dey among those dey arrest wey police prevent am from say im go carry medicine give am for cell.
“Di police don call me wey dey tok say my sister dey sick so make we come check am, na so I rush go di station but dem never allow me see am until dem take dem come di court,” im tok.
“Di police for di station now tok me say dem get order say make dem no allow anybody see pipo dem arrest.”
Akwesi bin dey wonder if say im sister Priscilla Toboli, wey e say dey stream di protest for im TikTok page at di time police arrest am on Sunday, commit any crime.
Anoda pesin, wwy tok say im name na Evangelist Winifred Aquaye tok journalists say im relative wey bin dey pregnant also dey arrested togeda wit her husband around di hospital wey di demonstration happun.
Winifred tok say “you no fit treat pipo like animals, my brother and im wife dey among di pipo dem arrest, im wife dey four months pregnant and since Sunday, dem neva make we see dem, dem no give dem food or water, why?
Di evangelist wey bin dey cry for di court premises say “if something happun to dem, di kontri go pay for am. Di two of dem dey pass by di place, dem no dey among di demonstration; see wetin dem wear, na demonstration cloth?
God go judge everibodi for dis mata,” Evangelist Winifred tok.
63-year old Philip Cobbinah tok say im son dey among di pipo wey dey protest.
Im tok say im support im pickin sake of illegal gold mining don affect many water bodies for dia area for di western region of di kontri.
Wia dis foto come from, KOJO AKOTO BOATENG
“My pickin and di odas no commit any crime, all dem dey tok be say make di goment stop illegal mining, to protect nature, how dat one become crime,”? Im ask.
“Di criminals na di pipo wey still dey inside di forests wey dey continue illegal mining, no be dis innocent pickins wey demonstrate for street, if dem like make dem kill my son, I no care. God and nature go judge everibodi wey sabi take action for dis mata wey dem keep quiet.”
Lawyers bin react
One of di lawyers for di protesters tok say dem shock say di court remand some of dem for prison custody.
Nelson Noble Amedewonu say dem dey disappointed say di court remand some of dem inside prison custody.
Im add say, dem go apply for di proceedings of di court and file appeal
“We go appeal dis mata for di human right court afta we get di ruling, sake of how dem treat our clients no dey proper. We no fit find some of di pipo sef, like Felicity Nelson wey be one of di leaders.”
Im tok say “we go try to find wia she dey and if we no find am, we go apply to di court make di police produce am.
We dey disappointed about di number of days wey di court don remand dem; how di court go remand some of dem to prison? Pipo wey dey demonstrate? Dis dey unfortunate,” lawyer Nelson Noble Amedewonu tok.
Lawyers bin tok say since dem arrest di ova 40 pipo on Sunday, police neva allow dem food, water and female sanitary materials inside cells.
Amnesty International and oda citizens demand di release of di pipo
Amnesty international Ghana bin condemn di arrest and treatment of di protesters and demand dia release.
Country Director, Genevieve Partington tok say “amnesty bin frown upon all forms of violence and violations of all human rights wey include right to freedom of assembly and expression wey dey inside di kontri constitution.”
Im add say “we don dey deeply concerned and worried about how di police don handle dis protesters during dis demonstration, make dey release dem now.”
Di arrest and detention of di ova 40 young pipo don cause fire for social media as pipo begin to use hashtag to demand say make release dem.
#FreeTheCitizens bin dey trend for social media wit many pipo adding dia voice say make di state release di pipo.
Inside one statement di police issue on Tuesday, dem tok say dem go arraign di oda four pipo including convenor for di demonstration Oliver Barker-Vormawor on Wednesday.
Di police bin tok say di protesters engage for “unlawful and uncivil tins” during di protest and dem also “attack public officer” and “destroy public property” during di 3-day protest, claims wey di demonstrators don deny.
