An Accra High Court has acquitted and discharged Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1) Samuel Yao Fiagbedzi and one Richard Adri, also known as Mumuni, of all charges relating to their alleged membership in the secessionist groups—the Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF) and the Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF).
The court, presided over by Justice Marie-Louise Simmons, found that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence linking the two to any of the prohibited organizations. The ruling brought a significant turn in the high-profile secessionist case that has drawn public and national security attention.
Justice Simmons ruled that mere presence on a WhatsApp platform believed to be linked to the groups was not enough to establish that WO1 Fiagbedzi was a member.
“There was no evidence that he actively engaged with the group’s activities or contributed to its success,” she said.
She emphasized that both prosecution witnesses admitted they had no direct evidence tying Fiagbedzi to the group’s operations beyond his alleged addition to a social media group.
On Richard Adri, the court held that receiving a T-shirt from the founder of the HSGF did not constitute membership, particularly since there was no evidence of subsequent association, support, or involvement with the organization.
“The only evidence is his being a member of the Youth Alive Artisans group,” the judge noted, stating that merely being gifted a T-shirt without further action or support could not justify criminal liability.
Four to Open Defence
While the two were set free, the court ordered four others—Ernest Dzitor (A1), Prosper Avumenyi (A3), Benjamin Kplevi (A4), and Isaac Kwasi Afeku (A5)—to open their defence, ruling that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against them.
The court found sufficient grounds to believe that the four had ties to the outlawed organizations. In the case of Dzitor, the first accused, his own admission of being a member of HSGF between 2018 and 2020 formed a key part of the prosecution’s evidence.
Avumenyi, the third accused, was linked to the WTRF through a T-shirt bearing the group’s insignia found in his room, as well as a photograph placing him in proximity to its leadership.
For Benjamin Kplevi, the court relied on his statement confirming his association with the HSGF as prima facie proof of membership.
Afeku was found in possession of WTRF-related documents and was accused of being directly involved as an executive. He also reportedly showed solidarity by accompanying the group’s founder to the police when he was arrested.
Background of the Case
According to the prosecution, the accused persons were part of efforts to revive and push the agenda of prohibited organizations such as the Western Togoland Restoration Front (WTRF), the United Freedom Fighters (UFF), and the Concerned Citizens of Western Togoland (CCWT).
These groups are said to have emerged after the arrest and release of Charles Kwami Kudzordzi, alias Papavi Hogbedetor, the now-deceased founder of HSGF. Their agenda was to secede from Ghana and establish a sovereign Western Togoland state, encompassing the Volta and Oti Regions, and parts of the Eastern and Northern Regions.
The prosecution alleged that the groups recruited young people through social media platforms like WhatsApp and trained some to serve as future police and military personnel of the envisioned state.
Some of the accused allegedly admitted to being members, attending meetings, and even participating in activities such as road blockades and the distribution of T-shirts bearing the map and slogans of the intended state.
In one instance, Ernest Dzitor reportedly confessed to helping block roads using sand and burning tires, causing significant disruption. Kplevi, according to his statement, was designated a community leader for the group in 2018. Afeku is said to have had WTRF materials in his possession at the time of his arrest.
The trial continues, with the four remaining accused expected to open their defence at the next hearing.
