Western Togoland saga: Solder, 3 others jailed 17yrs, fined over GHc26k

Warrant Officer Class One with the Ghana Armed Forces (WOI) Emmanuel Hayford Afedo and three others said to be members of the Western Togoland Restoration Front and Homeland Study Group have been jailed 17 years by the High Court in Accra.

In addition to the custodial sentence, the four have been fined a total of GHc26,400.

This was after they were found guilty for charges including being members of a prohibited organization before Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzu.

The convicts are Michael Koku Kwabla Amewetonu Gohey alias Togbe Yesu Adudzie, Nene Kwaku Agblorm II alias Joshua Tawiah Agblorm, Dzreke Mawuena Adreke Mawena Abednego and WOI Emmanuel Hayford Afedo.

EIB Network Legal Affairs Correspondent Murtala Inusah reports that, the convicts are to serve their respective sentences in hard labour after their sentences on Tuesday, March 5.

They were separately slapped with two counts of being a member of a prohibited organisation and making contributions for the benefit of a prohibited organisation contrary to sections 2(1)(g) of the Prohibited Organisations Act, 1976(SMCD 20).

They were also charged with summoning meeting of a prohibited organization, attending meeting of a prohibited organization and participation in a campaign of a prohibited organization.

Before sentencing, the trial judge said she took into consideration mitigation from defense lawyers including the numbers of years spent on remand and also heard from the prosecution before passing her sentence.

Justice Mary Yanzu, in handing down the sentence said, the punishment ought to serve as a deterrent to others who may have the intention of embarking on such an adventure.

Michael Koku Kwabla Amewetonu Gohey alias Togbe Yesu Adudzie, (first accused) was sentenced to five years imprisonment in hard labour with a fine of 1000 penalty units equivalent to GHc12, 000.

The Court said in default he will serve a a year in prison.

Whilst Nene Kwaku Agblorm II alias Joshua Tawiah Agblorm, Dzreke Mawuena Adreke Mawena Abednego and WOI Emmanuel Hayford Afedo were each jailed four years in hard labour in Addition to a fine of 400 penalty units equivalent to (GHc4, 800) each.

*Brief facts*

Per the brief facts, officers of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), based on intelligence gathered, embarked on an exercise to identify and arrest members of the Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF) who, on September 25, 2020, blocked the road at Juapong and Sogakope and set fire to two STC vehicles.

It said, on this same day, some members of this group also attacked the Aveyime and Mepe Police Stations respectively, freed the inmates in the cells, locked up the policemen on duty in the cells, took arms and ammunitions from the armory of the police stations and bolted.

The WTRF is a splinter organisation from the Homeland Study Group Foundation, whose main objective is to secede from the Republic of Ghana and form a new sovereign State.

The facts stated that, this new State is to cover the entire Oti and Volta regions and parts of the Eastern and Northern regions of the Republic of Ghana.

It stated that, Investigations showed that the WTRF was formed after Charles Kwami Kudzordzi alias Papavi Hogbedetor, who is the founder and leader of the Homeland Study Group Foundation, a prohibited organisation, went into hiding after his arrest and release.

*NEC meeting*

It stated that, the first accused person, Michael Koku Kwabla Amertonu alias Togbe Yes Edudzie, who was deputy to Papavi Hogbedetor, founded the Western Togoland Restoration Front, to continue from where Papavi Hogbedetor left off.

The other accused persons are members of the National Executive Council of the Western Togoland Restoration Front.

Prosecution stated that, the first accused person, as the leader of the group, summoned meetings of the National Executive Council (NEC) of WRRF at which discussions were made as to how to secede from the Republic of Ghana.

“At one of the National Executive Council Meetings, a proposed list of the cabinet of the envisaged state was discussed.

“The first accused person was to become the Prime Minister of the envisaged state,” the Prosecution told the Court.

*Education & Recruitments*

It stated that, the fifth accused person, WO1 Hayford Afedo, was put in charge of educating and recruiting new members of the WTRF from the Northern parts of the Republic of Ghana.

“At other meetings, the accused persons held discussions on how the civil service staff of the envisaged state was to be paid.

“The Western Togoland Restoration Front, at its National Executive Council meeting on 24th September 2020, decided to block the roads at Sogakofe, Sege, Kong and Juapong.

“They also planned to attack the Aveyime and Mepe Police Stations,” the brief facts added.

*Road blocks & attacks*

It stated that, on September 25, 2021, at dawn, the roads were blocked with trips of sand and burning tyres.

“The members of the Western Togoland Restoration Front also attacked the Aveyime and Mepe Police Stations respectively, held the officers and their families hostage, freed inmates from the cells, broke into the armory of these two police stations and made away with arms and ammunitions belonging to the Ghana Police Service.

“Investigations led to the arrest of the above-named accused persons who admitted being members of Western Togoland Restoration Front.

“They also admitted playing active roles in its organisation and activities, such as the attendance of meetings. In addition, the first accused person, Michael Koku Kwabla Amertonu @Togbe Yesu Edudzie, and third accused person, Charles Elo also admitted making financial contributions towards the operations of the organisation,” it stated.

In addition, the third accused person was found to have taken part in the blocking of the road and the attack on the Aveyime Police Station on September 25, 2020.

Meanwhile, the third accused person Charles Elo died while the trial was pending.

*Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Murtala Inusah/Deborah Essuman*