The 10 persons arrested for allegedly plotting
to overthrow the government have filed another application seeking bail pending
trial.
The accused persons in their various
applications contended that it has been three months since their respective arrests
and subsequent arraignment but the police were yet to conclude their
investigations into the matter and, therefore, insisted that it amounted to
unreasonable delay.
Previous
Attempt
This is the second time lawyers for the accused
persons have attempted to secure bail for them pending the trial.
Last month, an Accra High Court dismissed an
application filed by seven of the accused persons as the court presided over by
Justice George Buadi held that they had been detained for less than two months
and that could not constitute unreasonable delays in the trial.
ACP/Dr. Benjamin Agordzo, a week later, also
filed for an application for bail as his counsel Martin Kpebu argued that his
client had no intention to carry out any coup in the country.
That application was also dismissed by the same
judge, saying it was premature and held that the accused person, being a senior
police officer, could interfere with investigations.
The renewed bail applications are coming at a
time the prosecution is preparing to send the case docket to the Office of the
Attorney General for advice.
Motion
Moving the motion for bail, private legal
practitioner, Victor Kwadzoga Adawudu, who represents seven of the accused
persons, told the court that it was strange that the prosecution after indicating
that a 15-month surveillance led to the arrest of the accused person are still
saying they are still investigating the matter.
He said from the look of things, there is no
time frame for the prosecution to conclude its investigations and, therefore,
urged the court to consider the grant of bail pending trial.
He said the case had been unreasonably delayed
and, therefore, pleaded with the court to grant the accused person bail pending
trial.
He suggested that in the alternative, the
military personnel among the accused persons be released to their unit
commanders or the Provost Marshall who will produce them to stand trial at all
times.
Opposition
The application was opposed by Hilda Craig, a Senior
State Attorney, who said the accused persons are facing charges of abetment and
treason felony which are serious offenses, and the investigations of such cases
are not as simple as the defence counsel was suggesting.
She said most of the accused persons are
military officers who would interfere with investigations and witnesses who are
military personnel when granted bail.
She added that looking at the charges and the number of accused persons involved, the
investigations will take a bit of time, and pleaded with the court to deny the
accused persons bail.
The court presided over by Justice Georgina
Mensah-Datsa adjourned the matter today to rule on the application.
Lawyer for ACP Agordzo will also move his
application for bail today.
Case
Docket
Meanwhile, a Kaneshie District Court has
adjourned the committal hearing involving the accused persons until January 8,
2020 after the prosecution led by ASP Sylvester Asare told the court that they
were putting the case docket together to be forwarded to the Office of the
Attorney General for the preparation of the Bill of Indictment.
The court presided over by Eleanor Barnes-Botchway advised the prosecution to speed up with investigations, hoping that by the time they return next year, the state would have made ‘head way’.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak
