Tsatsu's Bail Bid Falters

By Stephen K. Effah
Tuesday, 24 June 2008

THE incarcerated former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Tsatsu Tsikata, yesterday failed to move his application for bail pending an appeal at the Supreme Court, due to his inability to secure a copy of the judgement.

Mr.Tsikata told the packed Fast Track High Court which sentenced him last Wednesday that he has also petitioned the Chief Justice against the "bias" shown by Justice Henrietta Abban in her judgement.

"I have petitioned the Chief Justice…I have indicated the clear bias exhibited in the judgement and I’m waiting for the outcome," he said.

The case was thus adjourned sine die to allow both Mr Tsikata and the prosecution to have copies of the judgement.The Fast Track High Court on June 18, handed down a five-year jail term to the former GNPC boss after it found him guilty of all three counts of causing financial loss of about ¢2.3 billion to the state and misapplying public property.

Immediately he was sentenced last Wednesday, Mr.Tsikata, asked the court for bail to allow him appeal against the decision of the judge but that request was refused by the court.

He later filed a notice of appeal seeking an order of the Court of Appeal to set aside the High Court’s decision because, he said, it was unreasonable and not supported by the evidence given.

After Mrs. Yvonne Obuobisah, a Principal State Attorney had introduced her prosecution team to the court yesterday, Justice Abban asked Mr.Tsikata whether he had any legal representation but he replied: "I’m representing myself."

He then told the court that he applied for a copy of the judgement, as well as proceedings of June 18, to support his application for bail, but he was only given an "incomplete record of proceedings," hence he has written back to the court registrar requesting the full text of the judgement.

"As at now, I don’t have the judgement, and the best way to proceed is to have it (judgement) and the transcript of proceedings," he told the court.

Mr Tsikata further said that even when the proceedings of June 18 are supplied him, he would want to listen to the recorded proceedings of that day to ensure its accuracy.

In response, Mrs Obuobisah said that for an application for bail, it is the record of judgement which is needed and not proceedings. She therefore requested the judge to exercise her discretion, adding, "It will be proper if we all have copies of the judgement."

As early as 9 a.m. yesterday, a number of National Democratic Congress supporters had started thronging the Supreme Court building awaiting the arrival of Mr Tsikata.

By the time proceedings began at about 11:40 a.m., hundreds of them, wearing red bands had besieged the forecourt amidst the chanting of songs in praise of Mr Tsikata.

Bearing placards some of which read, "No Tsatsu, No Ghana," "We Want Justice Now", "After Tsatsu Who is Next Mr Prez" and "Tsatsu is a Living Legend." However, the supporters were prevented from entering the court building by the police.