The High Court has denied bail to Oliver Barker Vormawor, a lead convener of the Democracy Hub protest. Despite the ruling, the court directed the Circuit Court to commence prosecution within 72 hours.
If the prosecution fails to do so, the court indicated that bail may be reconsidered.
The court indicated that Barker Vormawor’s bail denial stems from the fact that he was already out on bail for treason felony charges at the time of his alleged involvement in offences during the Democracy Hub protest.
The judge expressed concerns about the possibility of Barker Vormawor committing another offence if released on bail.
However, the court granted bail of GH₵20,000 to five other individuals charged alongside him, including Felicity Nelson.
Barker Vormawor’s request for bail was specifically denied, with the judge citing section 96(5c) of the Criminal Procedure Act (Act 30), which allows the court to deny bail if it believes the accused may commit further offences when released.
Barker Vormawor’s lawyer, Justice Srem Sai, argued that the court’s focus should be on whether the accused would stand trial if granted bail. He emphasised that Barker Vormawor had consistently appeared in court for his treason felony trial over the past three years, making it unlikely that he would evade misdemeanour charges in the current case.
Despite this argument, the judge maintained that the potential risk of Barker Vormawor committing another offence justified the bail denial.
The decision comes after the court earlier granted bail to Ama Governor and eight other protesters.
Ama Governor, 8 other Democracy Hub protesters granted GH¢70K bail each
