A Nigerian who was arrested at the Kotoka International Ariport in possession of 656 Automated Teller Machine (ATM) debit cards connected to nine (9) Nigerian and Ghanaian banks has been granted a GHc200,000 bail by an Accra High Court.
The accused was put before an Accra Circuit Court charged with two counts of electronic trafficking and stealing and was remanded by the court.
His lawyer, however, applied for bail at the High Court pending the trial which was initially adjourned due to what the prosecution said was a new development in the matter.
Appearing before the court yesterday, Amanda Awade, an Assistant State Attorney told the court that she contacted the investigator in charge of the case who informed her that he was yet to receive a response to the letters sent to the various banks as well as the Bank of Ghana and so there was no new information.
William Brown, who held brief for Theophilus Donkor, counsel for the accused person confirmed to the court that he called the investigator and was given the same information.
He, however, told the court that he had issues to raise about the health condition of the accused person and the food he is being served whiles in the custody of the National Investigations Bureau (NIB)
The court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, who was not impressed about what she described as the slow pace the prosecution had adopted and asked the lawyer to move his application for bail on behalf of the accused.
Mr. Brown, therefore, moved the application and prayed the court to grant the accused bail pending the trial.
The application was opposed by Ms. Awade who argued that the accused did not demonstrate that he will appear for the trial, neither did he demonstrate that he has a fixed place of abode.
Justice Marfo, in her ruling held that the court would ordinarily be slow in giving a favourable response to a foreign national’s application for bail, especially when he has not been able to demonstrate sufficient ties within the jurisdiction of the court.
“However, given the time when he was arrested till now and the fact that prosecution seem to have no clue when their investigations will conclude, this court is obliged to hear his application and grant him his request”, she said.
Justice Marfo, therefore, granted the accused a bail of GHc200,000 with two sureties who must be Ghanaians resident within the court’s jurisdiction and earning a net monthly salary of not less than GHc3,000
The accused’s passport is to be seized and deposited with the registrar of the court and he is also to report to the NIB every Monday until the determination of the case.
Bachiru Miss Aminou was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport m December last year, with 565 ATM cards and a search conducted on him revealed a cash of $12,000.
He said the ATM cards were given to him by one Rabiu Suleiman based in Kano state, Nigeria, to be given to one Baffa Bawarije, a Nigerian based in Daira Night City Hotel, Dubai.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak