Outspoken leader of the social advocacy group FixTheCountry Movement, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, faces life imprisonment if found guilty of the charge of treason felony.
The charge that was slapped on the young PhD student at Cambridge University's Faculty of Law is a first-degree felony, which attracts a lifetime in jail as the highest punishment -- if pronounced guilty.
According to Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, “A person commits a treason felony and is punishable as for a first degree felony who:
(a) prepares or endeavours to procure by unlawful means an alteration of the law or of the policies of the Government, or
(b) prepares or endeavours to carry out by unlawful means an enterprise which usurps the executive powers of the Republic in a matter of both a public and a general nature. life imprisonment.
READ ALSO: FixTheCountry’s Barker-Vormawor charged with treason felony
First-degree felonies, punishable by life imprisonment, are limited to manslaughter, rape, and mutiny.
The Ashaiman District Court on Monday, February 14, 2022, remanded Mr Barker-Vormawor into custody after the charge of treason felony was slapped on him.
The presiding judge, Justice Eleanor Barnes, denied him bail due to the nature of the offence.
The judge also stated that her court does not even have jurisdiction to grant bail.
The judge directed the police to allow the lawyers and family members of Oliver Barker-Vormawor – a maximum of three members – to visit him from 10 am to 4 pm daily.
According to police, the lead Convener of the pressure group has been charged for declaring on social media that he would topple the government if the E-levy bill is passed.
“Mr Oliver Baker-Vormawor has been arrested by the Tema Regional Police Command following a post he allegedly made on social media platforms to the effect that he would stage himself if the E-levy bill is passed by Parliament,” portions of the police statement said.