Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Court threatens to strike out case agaisnt suspected arsonists

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Thursday, July 18, 2013

The Accra Circuit Court yesterday warned it will strike out the case against the two people accused of setting ablaze some markets in the country if prosecutors fail to start the case on July 23.

The court, presided over by Mr. Francis Obiri gave the warning when it refused the two accused persons bail at their second appearance.

Prosecutors yesterday told the court that they have concluded their investigations into the case and were ready to begin adducing evidence from next week.

This prompted  Carl Adongo, counsel for the two accused persons, Yakubu Tahiru also known as Rasta and Fatau Ibrahim to repeat his bail application, on grounds that there was no need for the prosecution to hold them in custody once investigations were over.

However, the court refused to grant them bail, stating that the granting of bail was at the discretion of the judge, but was not ready to exercise that discretion in favour of the accused persons.

The two have been charged with counts of conspiracy to commit crime and causing damage to markets within the Accra metropolis but they have denied the charges.

The accused persons were arrested by the police in Accra, after preliminary investigations allegedly found them responsible for some of the fires that had consumed major markets in Accra and Kumasi.

They case has been adjourned to July 23, 24 and 29.

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