Court acts on bail demand by man on remand for 10 year

Accra, July 30, GNA - An Accra Fast Track High Court on Wednesday ordered that a hearing notice be served on the Director for Public Prosecution (DPP) in respect of the 40-year-old man who had been on remand for 10 years without trial.

Anthony Koblah Tsey, who is charged with robbery, on July 9 this year prayed the court to admit him to bail because he had been put before several judges without any meaningful trial. When the court resumed sitting, there was no representation from the Attorney General's Department. Tsey therefore repeated his prayer but this time told the court that he was suffering in prison.

"My Lord I need your help. I am suffering. The investigator in-charge of the case did not find anything incriminatory," Tsey said. The court, presided over Mr Justice Charles Quist therefore directed that the DPP be served with a hearing notice. The trial judge assured Tsey that he had included his case among the number of cases listed to be heard during the legal vacation. He therefore adjourned the matter to August 13. On July 9, this year, Tsey pleaded with an Accra Fast Track High Court to admit him to bail since he had been on remand for the past 10 years without trial.

In a handwritten motion, Anthony Koblah Tsey, who was dressed in a cream black check shirt with a pair of brown trousers, said his case had gone before several judges during the period. When the case was called, he raised his hand and said: "My Lord I have been on remand for the past 10 years. Mr Lord, I beg, you please temper justice with mercy and grant me bail." When the court, presided over Mr Justice Charles Quist asked: "How long have you been on remand?" Tsey replied "I was arrested in 1998 for robbery."

When the court looked through the case docket, there was no charge sheet and facts attached to the docket. "The only thing in the docket is a hand written bail application," the court said. When the court read through the bail application of Tsey, he stated that he was put before four courts. According to him he had been put before Mr Justice R.K. Apaloo, Mrs Justice Beatrice Agyeman-Bempah, Mr Justice Aryeetey and Mr Justice Richard Asamoah, now deceased. The court noted that though Mr Justice Asamoah commenced hearing the case it was brought to a halt. When the court asked Tsey who the prosecutor was, he mentioned the names of two State Attorneys - Mrs Keelson and Ms Atuobi. Mr Augustines Obuor, a State Attorney who was in court on a different matter, told the court that he would approach the two State Attorneys and inform the court on the next adjourned date.