Judge Doubts Suspects’ Age

An Accra Circuit Court has ordered the prosecution in the trial of the twenty-six Togolese nationals to verify the age of one of the accused persons.

The judge Ruby Naa Ayikai Aryee is sure the accused, Mumuni Jawal, unemployed is over 11-years-old 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.

At court today, a guardian of Jawal insisted the accused is 11 years but could not provide any evidence to buttress his claim.

Ms. Aryeetey 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, Marketing 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 bender, Alormasor Adi, electrician; Isaka Shaban, motor mechanic and Dodoye Yaw Worlassi, teacher.

The others are: Abdul Karim Ibrahim, driver; 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 Kesse 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.

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.

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