Accra High Court grants Ama Governor and Eight Others Bail in Galamsey Protest Case

Accra High Court grants Ama Governor and Eight Others Bail in Galamsey Protest Case
Ama Governor arriving in court

The Accra High Court criminal court 4 has granted bail to the sum of 70,000 Ghana cedis (GHC 70,000) each to 9 Democracy Hub protesters and requiring two sureties for each defendant including  YouTuber and lawyer Elorm Ababio, popolarly known as Ama Governor.

The others are:

  • Emmanuel Gyan
  • Emmanuel Kwabena Addo
  • Ziblim Yakubu
  • Oheneba Prempeh
  • Philip Owusu Kobina
  • Akisibik Desmond
  • Von Collie
  • Sadik Yakubu

The 9 are part of 54 protesters who were picked up by the Ghana Police for participating in a demonstration against illegal mining, popularly referred to as Galamsey on Sunday, September 22, 2024.

When the case was called on Monday, October 7, lawyers of the protesters who have been in Police custody first filed a motion to withdraw an earlier application they had filled for an abridgment of time in order for the case to be expedited.

After the court granted the motion and struck it out, they then filed another bail application. Their previous application had been denied by an Accra Circuit Court leading to a 2-week remand in Police custody.

State Attorney leading the prosecution, Amanda Awadi representing the attorney general opposed the bail application.

Their opposition came as a surprise since barely a week ago, Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame addressed magistrates and judges at their annual conference directed the prosecution handling the case to consider bail applications after directing for a swift investigation into the case.

After considering the arguments, presiding Judge Comfort Tasiame indicated that she found merit in the bail application.

As part of their bail conditions, the protesters are required to deposit their Ghana cards with the police and report weekly until the case is resolved.

At this time, the other protestors' attorneys, such as the famous ones like Oliver Barker Vormawor, Ralph, and Felicity Nelson, are still seeking bail for the individuals who are still in the custody.
The individuals were apprehended while carrying out demonstrations aimed at sensitizing the general public about the negative impacts that are usually associated with the galamsey operations on the water bodies.

Environmentalists have been quick to register their displeasure of the numerous non-metallic mining-practicing companies whose activities are responsible for the reduction of farming lands, water bodies, and forests.

These bail provisions carry great importance at a time when people are increasingly joining forces to promote the passage of laws and the utilization of resources that can effectively put an end to illegal mining.

The instances of the Democracy Hub Protesters have been dealt with by the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice who actually were the ones who arrested some of the people while they were in unlawful detention beyond the normal period of forty-eight hours before they were called to the court.