Ahmed Suale
A High Court in Accra has remanded Daniel Owusu Koranteng into prison custody for his alleged role in the murder of investigative journalist, Ahmed Suale.
This was after the court presided over by Justice Naa Koowa Quarshie refused an application for bail pending trial, filed by his lawyers.
The accused was initially charged with one count of murder, but an amended charge sheet includes a charge of abetment of crime contrary to Section 2-(1) of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
He is accused of abetting two other suspects, who are currently on the run, to murder Ahmed Suale at his home on January 16, 2019.
He is also facing a substantive charge of murder contrary to Section 46 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Court documents indicate that the accused had sent pictures of the deceased to Kennedy Agyapong, who displayed them on Net2 TV and called for ‘retribution’ against him.
“Accused person having known the deceased’s place of abode and possible hideouts; led two other culprits currently at large to the house of the deceased where he was shot and killed,” the documents allege.
He was remanded into police custody by the Madina Magistrate Court while the committal proceedings take shape.
His lawyers subsequently filed an application for bail at the High Court, praying it to grant him bail pending the committal proceedings.
Moving the motion yesterday, Nathaniel Egbor told the court that the facts do not support the charges levelled against the accused, arguing that the narrations by the police do not in any way link the accused person to the crime.
He said the accused has a constitutional right of presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and any attempt to restrain his liberty and freedom of movement violates this constitution.
He debunked claims that it was the accused who revealed the identity of the deceased, claiming that Ahmed Suale was already known.
The lawyer added that the accused is ready to make himself available to stand trial and should be admitted to bail.
The application was opposed by Maame Afua Osei Gyamerah, a State Attorney who argued that the application was premature, and that the accused person’s counsel seeking concrete evidence in a murder case which is of national interest at this stage, pending police investigation is jumping the gun.
She prayed the court to give conditions that will compel the accused to show up for the trial, including him depositing his passport at the registry of the court if the court was minded to grant him bail.
Justice Quarshie, after listening to both parties, refused the bail application and remanded the accused into prison custody until the court determines otherwise.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak