[ 2015-11-25 ]

NPP Asawase Murder Suspects Refused Bail
The Asokwa District Magistrate Court in Kumasi
hearing the case of the murder of the New
Patriotic Party (NPP) activist, Saddiq Abubakar,
has adjourned the case to December 7, 2015.

A fourth accused person, Baba Musah, who was
arrested after the first court hearing, was also
charged with murder.

The court granted a plea of Frank Amartey, counsel
for the second accused person, Hajia Wasila
Gariba, to be remanded in police custody since the
accused was asthmatic and needed access to medical
care.
Earlier, the prosecution withdrew the charges
against the first three, consolidated the charges
for the four and preferred a charge of murder
against them.

The remaining three were remanded into prison
custody. The other accused persons are Alhassan
Issah and Osman Issah.

The main suspect, Mahamadu also known as Duna, is
however still at large. Lawyer Amartey’s
pleas for the accused persons to be granted bail
was refused.

Ruling

Giving his ruling, the magistrate of the court, Mr
K. Owusu-Achiaw, said both the counsel and the
prosecution have adduced convincing reasons but
“my hands are tied” since the law did
not allow bail to be granted in murder cases.

He advised the counsel for the accused persons to
put his application before a superior court if
they wish to.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Michael Koole, vehemently
opposed the bail and insisted that the police had
not completed investigation and also the law did
not allow bails to be granted in murder cases.

Facts

According to the prosecution, on November 5, 2015,
some members of the NPP from across the country,
including some of the accused persons, went to the
headquarters of the NPP in Accra to demonstrate
against the suspension of the party’s
National Chairman, Mr Paul Afoko.

He said whiles in Accra, some of the party members
at Asawase held a press conference at the
party’s constituency office to denounce the
demonstration in Accra and locked up the
party’s Asawase office.

He added that on November 6, 2015, those who went
to the Accra demonstration came to Kumasi and
opened the party’s Asawase office which led
to some altercation between those who went to
Accra and the deceased. The accused persons beat
the deceased to pulp and stabbed him to death.

Source - Daily Graphic

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