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An Accra Excessive Court docket has sentenced six members of the Western Togoland group to 26 years in jail in exhausting labour.
Previous to the ruling, lead counsel for the convicts, Chris Akume, prayed for clemency for his purchasers citing that they’re first-time offenders who had been merely eager to know extra about their historical past.
“They joined numerous platforms looking for information to counterpoint their historical past. Sadly, this quest for information and try to know extra about our historical past has landed us the place we’re.
“There has not been any intention to fall foul of the regulation. We’re praying that since our intention for cessation or belongingness to the banned teams which for one cause or the opposite didn’t comprehend it had been banned. It’s effectively established we didn’t imply to commit any crime,” he instructed the courtroom.
Moreover, Mr Akume additionally prayed the courtroom to cut back any custodial sentence because the convicts had already spent greater than two years in custody.
However the prosecution prayed the courtroom to mete out a deterring sentence because the safety of the nation was at stake and the convicts had proven no regret all through the trial.
The six convicts – Kennedy Awunyo, Kwame Tornyevidzi a.ok.a Abizibey, Raymond Yao Blu a.ok.a Captain, Edem Nukornu a.ok.a FBI Commander, Jerry Kpeglo and Sylvanus Seshie had been sentenced to 4 years every in exhausting labour with the phrases anticipated to run concurrently.
The third accused, Raymond Yao Blu will nonetheless serve 6 years for a further cost of stealing opposite to part 124 (1) of the Legal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29)
Presiding Choose Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh famous that it was vital to provide a deterrent sentence on the discretion of the courtroom.
Per the information of the case “officers of the Nationwide Safety Council, based mostly on intelligence gathered, launched into an train to determine and arrest members of the Western Togoland Restoration Entrance who, on twenty fifth September 2020, blocked the street at Juapong and Sogakope and set hearth to
two STC automobiles.
“On this identical day, these identical group of individuals additionally attacked the Aveyime and Mepe Police Stations respectively, freed the inmates within the cells, locked up the policemen on obligation within the cells, took arms and ammunitions from the armoury of the police stations and bolted.
“The Western Togoland Restoration Entrance is a splinter group from the Homeland Research Group Basis, whose predominant goal is to secede from the Republic of Ghana. Investigations led to the arrest of the above-named accused individuals who admitted being members of Western Togoland Restoration Entrance. In addition they admitted enjoying lively roles in its group and actions, akin to attendance of conferences, contribution of funds and the receipt of funds for the operating of the group.
“When a search was performed within the room of the primary accused individual, Kennedy Awunyo, portions of Western Togoland flags and stickers had been discovered. The primary accused individual obtained and disbursed funds of the Western Togoland Restoration Entrance to make sure that the plans of the group materialized.
The second accused individual, Kwame Tornyevidzi@Abizibey, was discovered to have stolen one AK47 rifle on the Aveyime Police Station through the raid on twenty fifth September 2020. The third accused individual, Raymond Yao Blu@Captain, admitted collaborating in Western Togoland’s gorilla army coaching after which he was issued with a certificates. When a search was performed within the room of the third accused individual, a Western Togoland membership card and a military gorilla coaching certificates in his identify and along with his image embossed on it, had been discovered.
“The third, fourth and sixth accused individuals had been additionally discovered to have contributed funds for the operating of the Western Togoland Restoration Entrance. However for the vigilance of the safety businesses, the actions of the accused individuals and others at giant would have led to the disruption of the Presidential and Parliamentary elections on seventh December 2020 within the Volta and Oti Areas respectively. After investigations, the accused individuals have been introduced earlier than this Honorable Court docket for trial.”
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