Leader of the secessionist Homeland Study Group Foundation (HSGF), Charles Kudzordzi,popularly known as Papavi is dead.
Kudzordzi died at the St Paul’s Hospital in Akatsi, on Friday of natural causes. Before his death, Kudzordzi was standing trial before the Ho Circuit Court on a charge of prohibited organisation.
When the octogenarian made first appearance before the court on July 28, this year, he’s plea was not taken but grant GH₵ 80,000 bail with two sureties.
Senior State Attorney, Moses Asampoa, told the court presided over by Felix Datsomor that on November 16, 2019, at about 11am, the accused led about 100 members of the HSGF to hold an event at Ho-Moleme, where Kudzordzi declared independence for the Volta Region. According to the prosecution the new ‘state’ was to be known as Western Togoland Republic.
Prior to that, the prosecution said, members of the group had taken part in several lawless activities in pursuit of their secessionist bid.
In some instances, members of the group held clandestine meetings in church premises and in private properties, the court was further told.
Soon after the independence declaration event, 10 members of the group were arrested by the security agencies.
They are Euphemia Gborgbortsi, Peter Godsfriend Edem, Agbenyegah Akudzi, Ibrahim Tofa, Stephen Arku, Mkpe-Tornyi Kudzo, Kofi Agbeko, Richard Agbenu, George Nyakpo, and Coach Mawuko Ekpoh.
