The lawyer representing a 30-year-old man, who is said to be behind the publication of the false report that the Accra Mall had been attacked by terrorists, has told an Accra Circuit Court that his client is not mentally stable.
The accused, Ebenezer Boadi, was arrested on November 1, 2017 at his hideout at Offinso in the Ashanti Region after spreading the false information, which according to the police, caused fear and panic among Ghanaians.
He is said to have put out the false message on Whatsapp and other social media platforms, claiming the Accra Mall was under terrorist attack, with some shoppers killed and others held hostage.
He was hauled before the court yesterday on the charges of publication of false news with the intent to cause fear and panic.
He pleaded not guilty.
His lawyer, who filed an application for bail, told the court that Ebenezer Boadi, a teacher, is mentally unstable.
According to him, his mental condition is known to the authorities of the school where he teaches, adding that the authorities sometimes drag him out of the classroom because of his behaviour.
He prayed the court to grant bail to the accused person.
The court, presided over by Marian Affoh, granted the accused bail in the sum of GH?5,000 with two sureties.
She also ordered the case investigator to take the accused to the Pantang Hospital for psychiatric examination to ascertain the lawyer’s claims.
She further ordered that the residences of the two sureties be verified and a passport size picture of the accused person to be taken.
The case has been adjourned to December 14, 2017.
Facts
The prosecution said the accused person is a native of Asante Effiduase in the Ashanti Region.
On September 24, a social media message alleging that terrorists had attacked some people at the Accra Mall went viral.
On the same day, the Bureaux of National Communications, under the National Security Council, was tasked to assist the police to ascertain the source of the false message.
A technical search conducted online indicated that the message was generated in a Whatsapp group; “Buy and Sell Anything GH” and “Travel Agent Gh.”
Further investigations pointed to Boadi Ebenezer as the architect of the false message.
He was subsequently contacted and invited to the Ashanti Regional Office of Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on October 5, 2017, but he refused to do so.
On November 1, 2017, the accused was arrested and sent to the Bureaux of National Communication where he was questioned.
He admitted the offence during interrogations.
By Gibril Abdul Razak