Western Togoland Secession trial: Soldier, 3 others jailed

SourceStarrfm

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Four more members of the Western Togoland Restoration Front and Homeland Study Group who were seeking to secede Volta Region from Ghana have been jailed 17 years by the High Court in Accra.

In addition to the custodial sentence, the four have been fined a total of GHc26,400.

This was after they were found guilty for charges including belonging to a prohibited organization before Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzu.

The convicts are Michael Koku Kwabla Amwetonu Gohey alias Togbe Yesu Adudzie, Nene Kwaku Agblorm II alias Joshua Tawiah Agblorm, Dzreke Mawuena Adreke Mawena Abednego and WOI Emmanuel Hayford Afedo.

The convicts are to serve their respective sentences in hard labour.

They were separately slapped with two counts of being a member of a prohibited organisation and making contributions for the benefit of a prohibited organisation contrary to sections 2(1)(g) of the Prohibited Organisations Act, 1976(SMCD 20).

They were also charged with summoning meeting of a prohibited organization, attending meeting of a prohibited organization and participation in a campaign of a prohibited organization.

Before sentencing, the trial judge said she took into consideration mitigation from defense lawyers including the numbers of years spent on remand and also heard from the prosecution before passing her sentence.

Justice Mary Yanzu, in handing down the sentence said, the punishment ought to serve as a deterrent to others who may have the intention of embarking on such an adventure.

Michael Koku Kwabla Amewetonu Gohey alias Togbe Yesu Adudzie, (first accused) was sentenced to five years imprisonment in hard labour with a fine of 1000 penalty units equivalent to GHc12, 000.

The Court said in default he will serve a a year in prison.

Nene Kwaku Agblorm II alias Joshua Tawiah Agblorm, Dzreke Mawuena Adreke Mawena Abednego and WOI Emmanuel Hayford Afedo were each jailed four years in hard labour in Addition to a fine of 400 penalty units equivalent to (GHc4, 800) each.

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