Alleged arsonists granted bail
The Accra Circuit Court yesterday granted bail to two suspected arsonists who are alleged to be behind a number of fire outbreaks in markets in the country.
Advertisement
The accused, Yakubu Tahiru and Fatau Ibrahim, were granted bail in the sum of GH¢50,000, with three sureties each.
They are to report themselves to the investigator once a week.
The presiding judge, Mr Francis Obiri, was forced to grant the suspects bail after the state again failed to begin trial proceedings yesterday.
He had granted three previous remand requests by the prosecution to allow the police to conclude investigations into the allegations against the suspects but warned that he was no longer going to keep the suspects in custody if the prosecution failed to begin trial proceedings yesterday.
Remand suspects
The prosecutor, Chief Superintendent Duuti Tuaruka, prayed the court to remand the suspects in prison custody because he had just completed investigations into the matter and was yet to forward the docket to the Attorney-General’s office for a bill of indictment to be prepared.
He said the offence with which the accused persons had been charged was a first degree felony, adding that such offences were forwarded to the Attorney-General’s office.
Mr Obiri then asked the prosecutor why he was in court and the prosecutor said he wanted the accused persons to be remanded for due process to be followed.
Defence apply for bail
The defence counsel, Mr Carl Adongo, then argued that the prosecutor had always been in court with the same excuses and appealed to the court to grant the accused persons bail.
By court
In its ruling, the court said the charges against the accused persons were bailable and for that reason accepted the application for bail by the defence.
The case has been adjourned to July 31, 2013.
By Michael Donkor/Daily Graphic/Ghana