Prince Charles Dedjoe
The businessman arrested in connection with the death of his wife, Lilian Dedjoe, on Independence Day, March 6, has been denied bail by the Madina District Magistrate Court in Accra.
The suspect, Prince Charles Dedjoe, was not present in court yesterday and his lawyer, Captain Rtd. Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, explained that the suspect was not in the dock because of his medical condition.
He then impressed on the court presided over by Effua Tortimah to grant his client bail on health grounds.
Counsel also told the court that the manner the case is being tried on social media was worrying since the suspect whose hands were tied could not hold a press conference to state his side of the case.
The prosecutor, Sophia Adamuwaa, opposing the bail application, said the district court did not have the jurisdiction to deal with the bail application.
The court then ruled that it did not have the jurisdiction to grant bail to the accused except the High Court since it was a murder case.
The judge explained that she could not hear an application for bail before the committal stage of proceedings pursuant to sect.190 of Act 30 and directed counsel that the proper forum should be at the trial court where the case was going to be heard.
DAILY GUIDE later heard that lawyers of Mr. Dedjoe filed an application for bail at the High Court but it was yet to be heard.
Mr. Dedjoe, Chief Executive Officer of Chadeco Group Of Companies Limited, was arrested on Independence Day after his father-in-law reported the alleged murder of his daughter to the East Legon Police, Accra.
The 43-year-old woman, Lillian Dedjoe, according to police’s initial information, died after reportedly slipping and falling off the stairs at their East Legon home.
However, the father of the deceased, according to the police, later accused the suspect of assaulting his daughter leading to her death.
The couple were married for some years, a union blessed with two children. The relationship however, reportedly, turned sour, leading to the wife suffering alleged assaults from the man.
The case has attracted both social and traditional media attention, and yesterday in court there were some people demonstrating outside, seeking justice for the deceased.