Barker-Vormawor faces new charge, four others discharged

The State on Thursday brought a new charge against Oliver Barker-Vormawor, leader of the Democracy Hub anti-galamsey protest group.Initially, Barker-Vormawor was charged with stealing keys to a police towing vehicle.During the court proceedings, Nana Ama Adinkra, a Senior State Attorney, informed the court of a new charge sheet.She withdrew the previous charge sheet and replaced it with an updated one.In the new charge sheet, the state dropped the theft charge against Barker-Vormawor and instead charged him with 'intentionally turning off the ignition of a police towing truck.'Four others associated with the matter were discharged as the state dropped charges against them.Those discharged include Cedric Bansah, Emmanuel Offei, Nana Amo Mensah Prempeh, and Thomas Yeboah.Barker-Vormawor and eight others are facing charges of conspiracy, unlawful assembly, causing unlawful damage, offensive conduct conducive to a breach of the peace, and assault on a public officer.They have pleaded not guilty a nd are currently on bail.A few weeks ago, the police arrested 53 members of the anti-galamsey protest group, Democracy Hub, for alleged lawlessness and subsequently arraigned them.A Circuit Court in Accra had previously discharged seven of the protesters, and on Thursday, October 24, four additional individuals were released after the state dropped the charges against them.Source: Ghana News Agency