Three ‘secessionists’ granted bail

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A Ho high court has granted three members of the Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF) bail of GH¢50,000 each with two sureties to reappear on March 14, 2017. The three had pleaded not guilty to two counts of treason and conspiracy to commit treason.
They are the founder of HSGF, Charles Kormi Kudjordjie, 83; Martin Asiana Agbenu, 63, and Divine Odonkor, 59. Four other persons who are at large are Henry Adjato, Amaglo Tordey, Besah Akorli and Yao Agrah.
The group is seeking to declare the Volta Region and parts of the Northern and Upper East regions as the Western Togoland State on May 9, 2017.
Facts of the case
Presenting the case to the court, presided over by the supervising High Court Judge for the Volta Region, Mr Justice Charles Nicholas Agbevor, a State Attorney, Mr Moses Asampoa, said on February 25 this year, the group held a press conference in Ho to make a case for the creation of Western Togoland.
He said the founder of the group, Mr Kudjordjie, said the sovereignty of Western Togoland was non-negotiable and that Ghana’s alignment with Togoland must be denounced and decoupled immediately.
He further said Mr Kudjordjie claimed that the process was slow and unacceptable and that it needed a radical form, thus the time was now.
Mr Asampoa told the court that the founder declared at the press conference that a forum would be held on May, 9, 2017 to declare the independence of Western Togoland which covered portions of Volta, Eastern, Northern and Upper East regions.
Advice
He said the Volta Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Nana Asomah Hinneh, summoned the executive of the group, including the accused persons, and warned them against any action that might undermine the security of the region and the nation.
The state attorney said on March 6, 2017, the police arrested Agbenu at Tokokoe, with 20 T-shirts printed by the HSGF; he was also overheard as saying that they would declare independence on May 9, 2017.
He, therefore, said the activities of the group amounted to treason and prayed the court to remand them in prison custody for further investigations to continue and to apprehend the rest of the executive members who were at large.
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