An Accra High Court has denied bail to one of the leaders of Democracy Hub, a pressure group that held a 3-day protest in late September to press home demands for the government to take action against the prevalent damages being caused by illegal mining to water bodies and forests in Ghana.
The court denied Oliver Barker-Vormawor’s bail application, citing the need for further investigations and concerns about the possibility of public unrest if he is released.
Oliver is currently standing bail for treason in another case, and for that reason he cannot be granted bail for another offence, the judge noted.
His legal team has argued that his detention violates his constitutional rights to free expression and peaceful assembly, and that the protests were non-violent but only intended to raise awareness about the negative impacts of illegal mining.
However, a young lawyer activist popularly known as Ama Governor, who was also arrested, has been granted a bail of GH¢70,000 (about $4,423) along with 8 other protesters.
The arrested protesters were placed in 2 weeks remand by the court after they were arrested during the protest tagged
