Ho Court finally grants 21 LGBTQ suspects bail after massive pressure from advocates
- A Ho High Court has granted the 21 suspected LGBTQIA members bail
- They were remanded by a Circuit Court in Ho after they were arrested at a press conference
- The High Court admitted them to bail at a sum of GHs5,000 each with one surety
The 21 suspected members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex (LGBTQIA) community arrested in Ho have been granted bail.
They were arrested on Thursday, May 20, 2021, during a press conference in the Ho Municipality. They were charged with unlawful assembly.
Source: Instagram
The suspects—16 females and 5 males were first arraigned before the Circuit Court. The court remanded them into police custody.
After an earlier attempt to secure bail for the suspects failed, their lawyers were, however, successful today, Friday, June 11, 2021.
The Ho High Court 2 presided over by His Lordship Justice Yaw Owoahene-Acheampong granted them bail at a sum of GHs5,000 each with one surety, Starrfm.com.gh reports.
They are expected to submit a valid ID to the court as the Ho Circuit Court prepares to hear the substantive case against them.
The docket on the case has already been submitted to the office of the Attorney General for advice, YEN.com.gh gathered.
Sam George threatens to beat Australian High Commissioner
In an earlier YEN.com.gh report, Ningo Prampram lawmaker, Sam George, vowed to beat up the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana for his continuous lobbying for the legalisation of homosexuality in Ghana.
It will be recalled that the Australian High Commissioner and the Danish Ambassador together with some international diplomats attended the opening of an LGBTQ+ office in Ghana.
Gregory Andrews further called on Parliament not to pass legislation that would discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community or “remove their rights or make it illegal for people to advocate for their Human Rights.”
The group’s office has since been closed down following widespread outrage among Ghanaians.
Speaking on Starr Chat on Starr FM with Nana Aba Anamoah, the Ningo Prampram lawmaker said the laws of Ghana do not “allow you to do homosexuality” and the High Commissioner needs to understand that and desist from his continuous advocacy.
“I warned him that I’ll beat him in this town,” Sam George told the host.
Private members’ bill
Sam George has been spearheading the passage of a private members’ bill that will criminalise the practice and advocacy for homosexuality in Ghana.
The private members’ bill will augment existing provisions in section 104 of the Act of the criminal offense.
“We want to criminalize Homosexuality in all of its forms. We are going to take the gamut...deal with it, criminalize both the act and the advocacy of it, and make it unattractive for anybody,” the NDC lawmaker stated on GHONE TV on Tuesday, March 9, 2021.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
