Ghana activist charged with treason freed on bail

A Ghanaian political activist charged with treason for making comments on social media about a coup has been freed on bail.

Oliver Barker-Vormawor has led protests against President Nana Akufo-Addo's government under the banner "Fix The Country".

Bail was set at $200,000 (£153,000) by the High Court in Tema and he had to deposit documents relating to his properties as well as leaving his passport with the police.

As part of the bail conditions, he is expected to report to the police every week. 

Mr Barker-Vormawor, who is a lawyer and doctoral student at the University of Cambridge, was arrested on 11 February at the main airport on his return to Ghana from the UK.

It came after he had posted on social media that he would stage a coup if parliament passed a controversial bill to impose a tax on mobile money transfers.

His previous attempts to get bail failed over fears he would leave the country.

President Akufo-Addos's second term has featured several protests against government policies aimed at improving an economy that has been hit hard by the pandemic.

It is not clear when Mr Barker-Vormawor's trial will get under way.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: @barkervogues