An Appeal Court in Accra will on Monday, August 6, hear a motion for bail filed by counsel for Mallam Ali Yusif Isa, former Youth and Sports Minister, against his four-year sentence by the Fast Track Court.
Mr. Ambrose Dery, leading counsel for the former minister, had earlier filed an appeal at the Criminal Division of the Appeal Court in Accra, against the conviction of his client.
The motion, if successful will enable Mallam Isa to be released from jail on bail, pending the determination of the substantive appeal.
The former minister was jailed last two weeks by the court that was presided over by Mr Justice Julius Ansah, an Appeal Court Judge with an additional responsibility as a High Court Judge.
Mallam Isa, who is currently serving his sentence at the Nsawam Medium
Security Prison, was ordered by the court to refund the 46,000 dollars, which the court found him guilty of stealing or serve two years in prison in default.
He was in addition fined 10 million cedis and would, in default, serve another 12 months imprisonment. The sentences are to run concurrently.
In the trial that started from May 7 and ended on July 20, the former minister pleaded not guilty to two counts of stealing the 46,000 dollars belonging to the state and for fraudulently causing financial loss to the state.
The prosecution called 12 witnesses and the defence called one witness. In the course of the trial, two interlocutory appeals and one motion were filed.
The former minister was entrusted with 46,000 dollars to be paid as bonuses to the senior national team, the Black Stars in World Match qualifier in Sudan but said the money got missing.
