D-Day For Gnassingbè ‘Boy’

The fate of the 11-year-old boy grabbed in Accra as part of some unlawful demonstrators over the political situation in Togo hangs in the balance as an Accra Circuit Court decides on a bail application today.

The Court on Monday ordered the prosecution in the case to verify the age of the accused person, Mumuni Jawal pending an application for bail filed by his lawyers.

The court presided over by Naa Ayikai Aryee had expressed scepticism over the age of the boy contrary to the claim of the defense lawyer.

In the view of the court, Jawal is more than 11 years and if he had to be granted bail, he had to be handed over to his (Jawal’s) parents or guardian as prescribed by law.

Ms. Aryeety as a result ordered the prosecution to take Jawal to the Police Hospital for his age to be verified before a bail application filed by his lawyer, Godwin Tamakloe could be considered.

Jawal is among some 26 persons dragged before for staging an unlawful demonstration over the political situation in their country.

The suspects including six girls were part of some 300 nationals from Ghana’s immediate eastern neigbour, who had converged in Accra recently to protest over the political tension in Togo.

They are Gbandi Muda, mason; Attati Yao, teacher; Kodjo Larbie, IT Professional; Suweba Alhassan, Trader; Fuseina Dzagba, Markeying Agent; Itchoko Matey, student; Najowa Masawudu, Tailor Apprentice; Selina Abubakar, Trader; Ndu Shaibu, seamstress apprentice and Mawan Alhassan, Tailor apprentice.

The rest are: Ayiba Kodjoe Bruno, trader; Harruna Amiriyao, Pure water producer; Faredu Ali, electrician apprentice; Razak Salifu, carpenter; Ichadjerin Awal, unemployed; Aziz Fuseini, motor mechanic; Alhassan Issah, steel bemder, Alormasor Adi, electrician; Isaka Shaban, motor mechanic and Dodoye Yaw Wolassi, teacher.

The others are: Abdul Karim Ibrahim, driver; Mumuni Jawal, unemployed; Mubarak Abudu, mason; abdulai Latif, steel bender; Jibril Mohammed, mason and Isaka Alilu, unemployed.

It is the case of the prosecution led by Chief Inspector Evans Kese that the accused persons on October 28, 2017 at Kaukudi Park in Accra acted together with a common purpose to hold a public event without police notification.

All 26 are facing an additional charge of failing to notify the Police of a special event contrary to Section 1 of the Public Order Act.

The accused persons have been slapped with another charge of offensive conduct.

Appearing before relieving judge, Ms. Pricilla Dapaah-kMireku, the accused person who spoke Hausa, Ewe and English denied the offences.

They were each admitted to bail in the sum of GHC10,000, with one surety who must be gainfully employed.

This was after their lawyer, Godwin Tamakloe had urged the court to grant bail to his clients who he described not being flight risks.

He said the offences preferred against the accused person are bailable indicating that the accused persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Godwin argued that the burden was on the prosecution to prove the guilt of the accused persons.

He said the organizers of the event on October 23, 2017 adequately notified the Nima Police.

The lawyer for the gang of 26 stated that the organisers of the gathering again appeared before the Nima Police on October 26 to ask them about their response where they were supposedly informed by the Nima Police Commander that there was no specific time the event intends to take place.

Godwin argued that the accused person had to only notify the police and not to seek a permit.

He explained that the law provides that the accused persons had to notify the police and that if the police felt there was the need to stop them, all they had to do was to go to the high court to stop them and not to reduce themselves into a body to determine who had the right to demonstrate.

Responding Chief Inspector Kesse opposed the application for bail claiming that the accused persons are a flight risk because they do not have a permanent place of residence in the country.

The facts of the case are that on October 28 at about 9:15 am, the Greater Accra Police Command had information that some Togolese nationals and their Ghanaian counterparts dressed in red attire and headbands had converged at Kaukudi Park near Nima and started demonstrating against the government of Togo.

Some of the demonstrators were riding motorbikes recklessly on the Nima Highway, thereby posing security threat the public.

On the receipt of the information, the Police Regional Patrol Team were dispatched to the scene.

On seeing the police, the demonstrators took to their heels but they were pursed and the accused persons were arrested.

Source: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson/ thePublisher