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The High Court of Justice, Criminal Court four(4) on Monday, 11th January 2021 granted bail in the sum of GH¢200,000 with three sureties to the accused Collins Quarcoo, alias Kola, the gunman standing trial for his involvement in the electoral violence that occurred in the Ablekuma Central Constituency Collation Centre on the 8th December, 2020.
The bail condition is that two of his sureties, who shall be public servants earning not less than GHc15,000 a month and must show evidence of their earnings.
Kola on the 17th December 2020 when the case was first called was remanded by the Circuit Court Judge, Mr Emmanuel Essandoh to be in police custody. The Judge has since been indisposed and this had led to the postponement of hearing on 4 different occasions.
Lawyers of the accused on 8th of January, 2021 are said to have applied for bail at the High Court of Justice, Criminal Court 4 and on the 11th January, the High Court granted bail and further ordered the accused while on bail to report to the Police every Mondays and Fridays in the week. The reporter can confirm that at least one of the victims, Pius Kwanin Asiedu, was not informed of the bail application and only got to know that the suspect has been granted bail only on the 13th of January 2021.
Speaking to J. Opoku Agyei, the lawyer holding watching brief for Asiedu, he said that technically the prosecution is not obliged to inform the complainants about the application for bail but in this case, where the accused has perpetrated violence by discharging a firearm at 5 people, it is only fair that they should have been told. And in Asiedu' case, it is even more serious because he lives in the same neighbourhood as the accused
The accused, Collins Quarcoo alias Kola was arraigned on 6 counts including causing harm, possession of firearms without lawful authority and using offensive weapons without legal authority.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Kola is accused of shooting 5 persons, including a police officer and a journalist at the Odorkor Police Church collation centre.
The victims include Police Inspector, Nixon Awuni and Pius Kwanin Asiedu, a journalist with the Newswatchgh.com and Rashid Umar, a trader and NDC Vice Chairman of Sabon Zongo.
In an oral presentation by his Lawyers to the Circuit Court, Kola who was reported to be a National Security personnel is said to have fired indiscriminately into the crowd at a collation centre in the Ablekuma Central Constituency after having a brief discussion with the Member of Parliament of the Constituency.
Lawyer for the accused Faisal Cisse pleaded for bail for his client arguing that his client is a public officer and not a flight risk.
Kola, per his lawyer, is employed as a National Security Officer at the Operations Department of the Office of the President, Jubilee House.
The Circuit Court judge Emmanuel Essandoh who is currently indisposed adjourned proceedings to Thursday 24th December 2020 and later postponed to the 31st December 2020, 5th and 11th January 2021.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Journalists Association and the media, in general, have promised to follow the case through to the end.
The new date for the Court Hearing is Monday, 18th January 2021 at the Circuit Court 4 in Accra.
