Jihad Chabaan
An Accra high court has dismissed a bail application pending appeal, filed by Jihad Chaaban, the Abelemkpe branch manager of Marwako Restaurant in Accra.
Chaaban was on August 2, this year sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment by the Abeka District Court after he was found guilty of causing harm and assaulting Ms Evelyn Boakye, a worker of the restaurant, by dipping her face into blended pepper and calling her prostitute.
The court, presided over by Justice Ekow Baiden, ruled that the defence counsel failed to convince the court by providing it with documents indicating that the appeal process had begun and that the appeal could also succeed.
Chaaban’s lawyer had pushed for his client to be admitted to bail since he would have finished serving his sentence before the substantive appeal is heard.
The state however, contended that the chances of the manager’s appeal succeeding were slim and so bail should not be granted to the serving convict.
The court, presided over by s Victoria Ghansah, said the prosecution had proven beyond every reasonable doubt that the accused committed the offence.
The sentence, the court noted, should serve as a deterrent to supervisors and employers who mistreated their subordinates.
The court further rejected the terms of settlement by the two parties presented by the defence, stating that the matter before the court was a criminal and not a civil one.
GNA