The High Court in Accra has acquitted and discharged social activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who was standing trial for treason.
Barker-Vormawor was charged with treason felony in 2022 after being arrested by National Security operatives for threatening a coup if Parliament passed the then-controversial E-Levy bill, which was later enacted into law.
His arrest and prosecution sparked widespread debate and condemnation from civil society groups, raising concerns over free speech in Ghana.
Barker-Vormawor, who lost his Cambridge scholarship due to the treason trial, is the latest beneficiary of the new Attorney General’s decision to discontinue certain high-profile cases initiated by the previous administration.
The trial, which lasted two years, barely progressed as the Prosecution failed to present evidence beyond the accused’s social media post. If convicted, Barker-Vormawor faced either the death penalty or life imprisonment.
The Attorney General’s decision to drop the case adds to a growing list of high-profile prosecutions halted since assuming office.
Neither Barker-Vormawor nor his lawyers were present when the case was called on Tuesday, March 18.
Principal State Attorney Esi Dentaa Yankah introduced the Prosecution’s team, but proceedings were brief.
Trial judge Justice Mary Ekua Yanzu acknowledged the Attorney General’s nolle prosequi and ruled, “The charges have been struck out, and the accused person is discharged.”
Barker-Vormawor has since taken to social media to express gratitude to those who supported him throughout the trial.
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