Dr Dominic Obeng Andoh
The director of a private medical centre in Accra – Obengfo Hospital, Dominic Kwame Obeng-Andoh, has pleaded not guilty to two charges proffered against him by state prosecutors.
The embattled medical practitioner was dragged before an Accra Circuit Court on two charges of practising medicine without lawful authority and operating an unlicensed health facility.
Per the charges, the Medical and Dental Council, during a routine monitoring in July 2015, received information that Dr. Obeng-Andoh had failed to renew his annual registration to operate as a doctor, but continued to operate his private hospital.
The Medical and Dental Council is said to have reported the matter to the police for investigations.
On December 28, 2015, the police reportedly went to the private medical facility to arrest the doctor but met him in the process of performing a certain medical procedure on a patient who the prosecution says is a witness in the matter.
The facts said further investigations revealed that Dr. Obeng-Andoh also failed to license his health facility as required by law.
He was subsequently charged and arraigned before court on February 6, 2017, but he petitioned the Director-General of CID of the Police Service on February 7, 2017 for a review of the investigations.
Appearing before the court yesterday, Mr. Obeng-Andoh denied the charges and he was subsequently granted bail.
Making an application for bail, his lawyer, Nana Bekoe, who held brief for Dr. Maurice Ankrah, told the court that his client is undergoing treatment and will need to attend a hospital for medical care.
He assured the court that his client was not a flight risk and would readily avail himself at the court to face the trial.
He also told the court that Dr. Obeng-Andoh has people of substance who are willing to stand sureties for him.
The prosecution, led by ASP Stephen Adjei, did not oppose the bail application and the court, presided over by Mrs. Jane Harriet Akwele Quaye, granted him bail in the sum of GH?50,000 with two sureties, who must be gainfully employed.
The case has been adjourned to July 6, 2018.
Murder Case
Meanwhile, lawyers for Mr. Obeng-Andoh have applied for bail at the High Court in connection with the charge of murder.
He was remanded into custody by an Accra Magistrate Court on May 29, 2018 when he appeared before it for the alleged murder of Stacy Offei Darko, Deputy Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship Innovation Programme (NEIP).
The court, at the time, stated that it does not have jurisdiction to grant bail and subsequently directed his lawyers to apply for bail at a superior court.
An Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Kofi Dorgu, is expected to hear the bail application on June 14, 2018.
By Gibril Abdul Razak