Prince Charles Dedjoe
The bail application of Prince Charles Dedjoe, a Business Executive, accused allegedly of murdering his wife at East Legon, has been adjourned to April 12 by an Accra High Court.
The Court presided over by Justice Merley Wood, adjourned hearing of the bail application because the Court did not have the record of proceedings from the District Court.
When the case was called, Captain Retired Nkrabeah Effah Darteh, counsel for Dedjoe told the Court that, they received the record of proceedings from the Madina District Court yesterday and filed same on Thursday.
Additionally, Defence counsel told the court that he has filed a supplementary affidavit to the bail application pending trial.
Defence counsel explained that filing of the records from the Madina District Court was in compliance with the High Court’s request.
The High Court had on an earlier date, indicated that it did not have a copy of the record of proceedings of the lower court on its docket.
Selasie Kuwornu, Chief State Attorney, also informed the Court that the Attorney General’s Department has also not been served with the record of proceedings of the lower court.
The Court, therefore, adjourned the matter to April 12 and tasked Dedjoe’s lawyer to ensure that the AG’s Department and the High Court were served with the record of proceedings of the lower court.
The Madina District Court, on March 22, this year, for the second time, turned down a bail application put in by lawyers of Prince Charles Dedjoe, a business executive accused of murdering his wife.
Dedjoe, allegedly assaulted his 43-year-old spouse with his slippers, following a misunderstanding.
The District Court, presided over by Maame Efua Tordimah, did not admit Dedjoe to bail.
Turning down the bail application, the Court said it could not entertain the bail application of the accused and that he should make his prayer before the trial court (High Court).
According to the Court, defence counsel had gone to the High Court to seek bail.
Meanwhile, Captain Retired Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, informed the Court through a letter that he had gone to the High Court to seek bail and the matter would be heard on March 31.
He said the Court had demanded the proceedings of the lower court.
Repeating his bail application before the district court, Capt. Effah Dartey, said the accused person’s hands were tied because he could not hold a press conference to tell the whole world his side of the story.
According to Defence Counsel, the public was portraying the accused person as a wicked and brutal husband, a misogynist, a wicked man brutalising his wife.
“They are not looking at the facts of the Police and the affidavit in support of the case, they say anything they like.
Please for the sake of the law, grant my client bail. The law must work. The Court should not be influenced by public opinion. ”
The defence counsel said he believed the bereaved family was being sponsored by some women’s groups hence the huge wave of bashing on social media.
He maintained that his client was innocent and his innocence would be made known when the truth is unraveled.
Police Chief Inspector Sophia Adamuwaa, who led the prosecution at the District Court, had objected to the grant of bail, saying it was not the appropriate court to grant the accused bail.
According to the prosecution, defence counsel should, therefore, direct his prayer for bail at the High Court.
Dedjoe has been provisionally charged with murder. The court has preserved his plea.
The prosecution’s case is that the complainant is the deceased’s father who is a retired administrator, residing at Sogakope in the Volta Region.
The prosecution said the 43-year-trader, now deceased, was married to the Dedjoe and they both lived at East Legon, Accra.
It said, for some time now, Dedjoe and the deceased’s relationship had been marred with some misunderstanding leading to conflicts between them.
The prosecution said on March 1, this year, a misunderstanding ensued between Dedjoe and the deceased and as a result, Dedjoe assaulted Lilian who sustained injuries and went to the Madina Polyclinic for treatment.
It said when Lilian returned home, her condition deteriorated and on March 6, 2021, Lilian went into coma and was rushed to the Lister Hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival.
The prosecution said a report was made to the Police and Dedjoe, arrested.
It said, during investigations, Dedjoe admitted assaulting the deceased with slippers.
The prosecution said a postmortem examination is yet to be carried out on the deceased.
GNA