Treason felony charges: #FixTheCountry convener refuses to enter plea

#FixTheCountry convener, Oliver Mawusi Barker-Vormawor, has refused to plead to the treason felony charges levelled against him at the High Court in Accra.

The accused, who appeared before the Court last Thursday, said he was exercising his right under Section 238 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30) not to plead with the amended charge sheet against him.

When the two counts of treason felony were read out to him, Barker-Vormawor responded, “I want to exercise my rights under Sections 238 of the Criminal Code not to plead to the charges.”

Section 238 (1) of Act 30 reads, “Where an accused who is arraigned on, or charged with, an indictment, stands mute of malice, or neither will nor by reason of infirmity can answer directly to the indictment, the Court may cause a plea of "not guilty" to be entered on behalf of the accused.”

Subsection 3(2) reads that a plea of "not guilty" entered on behalf of the accused shall have the same effect as if the accused had so pleaded, or else the Court shall proceed to try the accused, or where the case is triable by jury under Section 242 or 245, cause a jury to be empanelled to try whether the accused is of a sound or an unsound mind.

Not guilty 

The Court, presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh, entered a not-guilty plea for the accused on both counts.

Barker-Vormawor was indicted by the State on two counts of treason felony contrary to Section 182(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and treason felony contrary to Section 182(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

That was after the Ashaiman District Court had on August 1, 2022, committed him for trial at the High Court for two counts of Treason felony.

The accused person is currently on bail.

Meanwhile, his lawyers, led by Dr Justice Srem-Sai, have also filed a motion asking the court for their client’s passport to be released to him.

The motion is expected to be determined on June 7, 2023.