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Tag: Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh

  • Court sentences 6 additional Western Togoland secessionists to prison

    Court sentences 6 additional Western Togoland secessionists to prison

    An Accra High Court has given various sentences to six members of the Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF), a secessionist organisation in Ghana. 

    WTRF is part of a splinter organisation from the Homeland Study Group Foundation, whose objective is to secede from Ghana. 

    Kwame Tornyeveadzi was sentenced to six years imprisonment on the charge of stealing an AK47 rifle belonging to the Ghana Police at Aveyime in the Volta region on September 25, 2020. 

    Five other accomplices were sentenced to four years imprisonment each by the court presided over by Mrs Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh. 

    The six were variously charged with 19 counts of attending meetings of a prohibited organisation, participating in a campaign of a prohibited organisation, making contributions for the benefit of a prohibited organisation and being members of a prohibited organisation.   

    The court earlier found them guilty of the charges and convicted them but deferred their sentences. 

    The court said it considered the fact that they were first-time offenders and the time they had spent in custody. 

    It, however, took a serious view of the charge of stealing and the attacks launched by some of their followers on a police station.  

    In his plea for mitigation, Mr Chris Ackumey, counsel for the convicts, prayed the court to deal leniently with his client because they had been in custody for the past two years and seven months. 

    Mr Ackumey said the convicts were only desirous of finding the history of where they came from. 

    “They were in search of knowledge, unfortunately, our quest for knowledge has landed us where we are now. They have no intention of falling foul of the law. 

    “We found ourselves in the circumstances beyond our control and same had landed us where were are.” 

    The defence counsel told the court that his clients while in custody, had suffered emotionally, physically, spiritually and had also displayed remorse during the trial. 

    “Given the chance, we would not commit the mess again. Consider the trauma and suffering we have gone through,” he added. 

    Mr Joshua Sackey, a Senior Attorney for the Republic prayed the court to hand down deterrent sentences and fines on the convicts to serve as a warning to other like-minded persons. 

    According to him, the convicts had not shown any remorse. 

    He rejected the assertion by defence counsel that the convicts wanted to learn their history. 

    The Attorney said evidence before the court proved otherwise. 

    The National Security Council, based on intelligence, arrested members of the Western Togoland Restoration Front, who on September 25, 2020, blocked roads at Juapong and Sogakope and set fire to two STC buses. 

    The prosecution said on the same day, the group also attacked the Aveyime and Mepe Police Stations, freed inmates  in the cells, locked up policemen on duty, took arms and ammunition from the armory of the polices’ and bolted. 

    The convicts were arrested for being members of the WTRF and their various roles in the Group’s activities such as attending meetings, contributing funds and  receipt of funds for running the Organisation. 

  • 2 Granted GH¢4m bail over galamsey contract

    A reverend preacher and another individual have been taken before the Accra High Court for their alleged participation in the recent galamsey operations involving the Chinese illegal miners in the nation.

    The 59-year-old Rev. Wallace Dela-Brown and Wilberforce Essien have been charged with conspiring to mine without a permit and hiring non-Ghanaians to do mining operations and services without a permit issued by the ministry, respectively.

    The accused have entered a not guilty plea.

    The court, presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh, subsequently admitted the two to bail in the amount of GH$2 million each with two sureties.

    Per the bail conditions, the sureties should be justified with landed properties and must be residents of Accra.

    The accused are also to deposit their passport, passport pictures with the registrar of the court.

    They are also to report to the police once every week.

    Brief facts

    Per the brief facts of the case presented to the court by an Assistant State Attorney (ASA), Derick Ackah, were that on September 8, 2022, police had information about illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey, at Teleku-Bokazo near Nkroful in the Western Region involving some Chinese who were residing at Esiama.

    He said that based on the information gathered, the police mounted an operation at Esiama where suspects, Huang Qian Xi, LiJian Wen, Huang Qian Sheng,Shi Zhong Qi and Wei LinXi, who are all Chinese, were arrested.

    He told the court that an excavator and other mining equipment were also seized.

    The Assistant State Attorney stated that investigations revealed that Essien was one of the Ghanaians who contracted the aforementioned accused persons currently in custody.

    The Assistant State Attorney said on September 16, 2022, Rev. Dela-Brown was arrested and in his cautioned statement, he admitted the offence and stated, among other things, that he had an agreement with the Chinese to provide them with logistics and financial support to undertake activities on a concession belonging to Rev. Dela-Brown.

    He said Essien mentioned that he had a contract with the Chinese to undertake mining activities on his concession.

    Rev. Dela-Brown also indicated that Essien paid him an amount of GH¢150,000.

    The prosecutor told the court that investigations into the matter were ongoing.

    Per the bail conditions, the sureties should be justified with landed properties and must be residents of Accra.

    The accused are also to deposit their passport, passport pictures with the registrar of the court.

    They are also to report to the police once every week.

    Brief facts

    Per the brief facts of the case presented to the court by an Assistant State Attorney (ASA), Derick Ackah, were that on September 8, 2022, police had information about illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey, at Teleku-Bokazo near Nkroful in the Western Region involving some Chinese who were residing at Esiama.

    He said that based on the information gathered, the police mounted an operation at Esiama where suspects, Huang Qian Xi, LiJian Wen, Huang Qian Sheng,Shi Zhong Qi and Wei LinXi, who are all Chinese, were arrested.

    He told the court that an excavator and other mining equipment were also seized.

    The Assistant State Attorney stated that investigations revealed that Essien was one of the Ghanaians who contracted the aforementioned accused persons currently in custody.

    The Assistant State Attorney said on September 16, 2022, Rev. Dela-Brown was arrested and in his cautioned statement, he admitted the offence and stated, among other things, that he had an agreement with the Chinese to provide them with logistics and financial support to undertake activities on a concession belonging to Rev. Dela-Brown.

    He said Essien mentioned that he had a contract with the Chinese to undertake mining activities on his concession.

    Rev. Dela-Brown also indicated that Essien paid him an amount of GH¢150,000.

    The prosecutor told the court that investigations into the matter were ongoing.