Prince Charles Dedjoe
An Accra High Court yesterday dismissed an application by Prince Charles Dedjoe, a businessman accused of murdering his wife at East Legon in Accra on Independence Day.
The court, presided over by Justice Merelyn Wood, in dismissing the application, held that it was not convinced that the accused person would avail himself for trial when granted bail.
This, the court held, was based on the severity and seriousness of the punishment that comes with the offense of murder, which the accused has been charged with.
The court therefore, denied the application for bail pending trial, leaving the accused person in the custody of the police.
The accused is facing a charge of murder after allegedly assaulting his wife, Lilian Dedjoe, which resulted in her death days later.
His lawyer, Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, filed for bail pending trial after a Madina Magistrate Court in Accra remanded him into custody.
His lawyer, moving the motion for bail, argued that Article 19(2) of the 1992 Constitution expressly provides that a person is innocent until proven otherwise, and that every innocent person has the liberty to walk freely.
Mr. Effah Darteh argued that the accused person has a fixed place of abode and that he lives in his own house at East Legion, and could be traced anytime by the police.
He further averred that the accused person is the bread winner of his small family with four (4) children to take care of.
The application was opposed by Selasie Kuwornu, an Assistant State Attorney, who argued that based on the balance of interest of the accused, the state and others, it would be best he remains in custody for his own safety.
She argued that the issue of domestic violence has become prevalent, some of which has led to deaths, including the case under review.
She further argued that the accused person’s lawyer overlooked the aspect of the case which detailed where the deceased was found.
She concluded by saying that, perhaps it may be in the interest of the applicant that he remained in custody because it is clear that looking at the happenings in the media, his safety will be at risk and prayed for the application to be refused.
Mr. Dedjoe, Chief Executive Officer of Chadeco Group Of Companies Limited, was arrested on Independence Day after his father-in-law reported the alleged murder of his daughter to the East Legon Police, Accra.
The 43-year-old woman, Lillian, according to police’s initial information, died after reportedly slipping and falling off the stairs at their East Legon home.
However, the father of the deceased, according to the police, later accused the suspect of assaulting his daughter, leading to her death.
The couple were married for some years, a union blessed with two children.
The relationship however, reportedly, turned sour, leading to the wife suffering alleged assaults from the man.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak