An Accra High Court has granted GHC20,000 bail with two sureties to Oliver Barker-Vormawor, one of the organisers of the Democracy Hub protest who were arrested.
Barker-Vormawor was arrested with some 52 others for unlawful assembly, blocking access to roads and other offences.
The group led an anti-galamsey protest between September 21 and 23, 2024, to drum home their demands to the government on the increasing levels of illegal mining otherwise known as ‘galamsey’ in the country.
The group, together with the Ghana Anti-galamsey Coalition, Organised Labour, other groups and Civil Society Organisations, made certain demands to the government on the menace.
They asked the government to impose a ban on all forms of small-scale mining and declare a state of emergency in the galamsey areas. Organised Labour threatened a strike on the demands which was rescinded the night before it was to be effected.
The group claimed that the President’s guidelines to address the menace were laudable, adding that they will monitor the progress and advice themselves on later based on how the guidelines go.
During the protests, the police said the participants blocked the main boulevard leading to the 37 Military Hospital preventing health seekers from accessing the facility.
They also said the protestors burnt tyres and other items in the middle of the road.
In a video that went viral on social media, Mr. Barker-Vormawor was seen removing the ignition of a police vehicle and threw away the keys. He was therefore slapped with different charges including stealing.
Meanwhile, all the 52 others have been granted bail.
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More soon…
