A warrant has been issued for Togolese opposition figure Agbéyomé Kodjo, his lawyer announced Thursday morning.
“An international arrest warrant has been issued against Kodjo Agbéyomé. We learned it yesterday from the investigating judge,” his lead attorney Darius Kokou Atsoo, during an interview on a private radio station. “This is yet another act of persecution against Mr. Kodjo, which in no way weakens our determination to bring the legal truth to light in this case.”
Kodjo narrowly lost the February presidential election to Faure Gnassingbé. Despite his loss, he proclaimed himself the rightful president of the Republic, accusing the authorities of establishing bogus polling stations, ballot stuffing and compelling people to cast multiple votes in Gnassingbé’s favor.
Gnassingbé rejected Kodjo’s claims, stating that landing 72 percent of the vote was down to the Tongolese people.
“To my unlucky adversaries, I would like to tell them, this is the game of democracy,” Gnassingbé said in an address to his supporters. “Let’s stop improvising, stop inventing imaginary numbers and submit to the judgment of the Togolese people.”
In April, Kodjo faced prosecuted by the public prosecutor’s office for disturbing public order, endangering national security, subversive acts, aggravated disturbance of public order, dissemination of fake news, slanderous denunciations and undermining the internal security of the State.
His attorney says that the former prime minister and head of the national assembly, has been “hiding in Togo,” because he “feared for his life.”
Kodjo refused to appear in court for a hearing on July 10th over security concerns.
