A Sunyani High Court has granted bail to the Manager of the Nkoranzaman Rural Bank, Emmanuel Kingsford Ofori, 59, charged alongside three police officers and two other civilians in the alleged murder of one Abu Nepah.
Nepah was allegedly beaten by the accused persons and he died in police custody at Seikwa.
The bank manager, whose car Nepah’s motorbike hit and landed him in trouble, was granted bail with two sureties on health grounds.
The other suspects who were not granted bail were General Constable Ebenezer Akuffo, 24, General Corporal William Akussung, 28, Chief Inspector Eric Aforo, 48, and their civilian counterparts, Aaron Abbey, 22, Reuben Obeng, 21, both private security personnel.
The court presided over by Justice Martey Tetteh however, remanded the three policemen and the two civilians into police custody to reappear on June 3, 2021.
Ofori failed to appear in court at the last sitting since according to his lawyer, he was not in good health and was on admission at Sunyani Municipal Hospital.
During the court’s sitting, the frail looking Ofori sat on a chair while the rest of the accused stood in the dock as their lawyers sorted it out with the prosecution for bail.
Aaron Abbey and Reuben Obeng who held the brief for Joseph Addae Akwaboa of Asempa Chambers said on behalf of the civilian suspects that the charge of conspiracy to commit murder and murder was baseless since the accused were doing their lawful duties as security persons at the Nkoranzaman Rural Bank.
They only arrested Abu Nepah after he (Abu Nepah) had damaged the rear windscreen of the bank manager’s car and handed him over to the police, counsel argued.
Counsel said the three civilians did not know anything about the death of Abu Nepah in police custody on April 15, 2021 after being handed over to the police.
However, Alex Amponsah, counsel for the police officers, (General Constable Ebenezer Akuffo, General Corporal William Akussung and Chief Inspector Eric Aforo), argued that the policemen were also doing their legitimate duties and did not cause the death of Abu Nepah.
He said it was unfortunate Nepah died in their custody when they only tried to restrain him since according to the charge sheet he was violent when he was being brought by the civilians to the police station.
“Their conduct was only necessary to restrain him because as police officers they are allowed to use reasonable force,” counsel said.
A State Attorney, Michael Adomako Berfi, opposed the application for bail because he said the case was still under investigation.
He alluded to the fact that the case under trial was a murder case and carries with it punitive punishment such as death, so they should not be granted bail, including the bank manager.
After listening to the arguments, the judge directed the police to quicken investigations and gather all evidence before next sitting date.
The judge however, granted bail to the bank manager on grounds of ill health and refused bail to the three police officers and the other two civilians.
As part of the bail conditions, one of the two sureties must be a civil servant and must deposit GH¢100,000 and two passport pictures with the investigator in the case.
The accused must also report to the police every Wednesday at 10am.
From Daniel Y. Dayee, Sunyani