Counsel for Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who is currently facing a charge of treason felony, has described the charge against his client as “cynical”.
Akoto Ampa, in an interview with Graphic Online, said the charge against Barker- Vormawor amounts to “bad faith” on the part of the prosecution.
The Lead Counsel for the accused expressed shock over the fresh charges against his client.
He said the prosecution had initially charged his client with a misdemeanor charge which is, offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace and publication of false news.
“Until this morning [Monday], it was a misdemeanor, only to appear in court and be told he is being charged with treason felony which has no factual basis,” Mr Ampaw said.
Last Thursday, Mr Barker-Vormawor took to social media to threaten a coup following pictures emerging from the Majority Leader’s 65th birthday bash showing an ‘E-levy’-designed cake.
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“If this E-Levy passes after this cake bullshit, I will do the coup myself. Useless Army!”
In a subsequent post, he explained the context in which he used the word coup.
He was arrested on Friday evening after he arrived from the United Kingdom and there was no word about his whereabouts for hours.
The Police later released a statement indicating that he is in their custody.
According to the Police, Mr Barker-Vormawor’s “post contains a clear statement of intent with a possible will to execute a coup in his declaration of intent to subvert the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.”
An Ashaiman District Court on Monday, February 14, 2022, remanded Oliver Barker-Vormawor into Police custody for two weeks after the Police charged him with a treason felony.
Lawyers for Mr Barker-Vormawor led by Mr Ampaw urged the Court to grant him bail.
But the Court, presided over by Eleanor Barnes-Botchway, denied the bail application pointing out that the nature and severity of the crime meant the Court could not grant bail.
He is expected to reappear on Monday, February 28, 2022