A Magistrate Court in Ho today [Thursday] March 9, 2017, declined jurisdiction in the case involving some persons campaigning for the secession of a part of the Volta Region.
The Magistrate said it could not hear the case against the group of persons advocating for the secession because it is outside its jurisdiction.
The Homeland Study group Foundation has in the last one year, been campaigning for the separation of parts of the Volta, Northern and Upper East regions to form the Western Togoland state, which they claim existed before Ghana’s independence in 1957.
Founder of the group, Charles Kormi Kudjordji, and two others, Martin Asiama Agbenu and Divine Odonkor, were arrested on Tuesday and charged with treason, after their latest event to drum home their demand for a separation.
The Magistrate in Ho on Thursday morning, however asked the state to proceed to a higher court with the matter because it lacked jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, counsel for the accused persons, Lawyer Atsu Agbakpe, says the allegations against his clients will not hold.
According to him, he is fully prepared to face the police in court.
“The meaning that carries across the definition is that, when you wage war against Ghana, or you use violent means or you assist someone to use violent means to overthrow the Republic of Ghana that amounts to treason. What you see over here is that some people are wearing T-shirts on which is written our day, and 9th May is our day. We all know the meaning of our day in local parlance, so if the Police say that amounts to treason, we can all witness the humiliation they have faced in court. We will follow them to see what they will do in court. ”
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By: King Nobert Akpabli/citifmonline.com/Ghana