Court rejects bail application of business executive held over spousal murder

An Accra High Court has rejected the bail application of Prince Charles Dedjoe, a business executive, accused of murdering his wife at East Legon, Accra.

The Court presided over by Mrs Justice Merilyn Wood, said looking at the nature of the offence and severity of punishment, she was not convinced the accused person would appear for trial when granted bail.

"I am not convinced looking at the seriousness of the offence and the severity of punishment that the applicant would appear to stand trial. Application for bail is refused," the Court ruled.

It said although the grant of bail was discretional, the law mandated the Court to take a look at the nature of accusation and the severity of punishment among other things.

Dedjoe has been charged with murder and declined bail by the Madina District Court.

He is alleged to have beaten his wife, Lilian Dedjoe, with slippers, resulting in her death.

Arguing for bail earlier, Captain Retired Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey, in a 10-point grounds for bail, said the High Court was clothed with jurisdiction to grant bail, stressing that a person was presumed innocent until a court of competent jurisdiction had ruled otherwise.

Captain Effah-Dartey said his client had a fixed place of abode and people of substance who would stand as sureties for him.

The defence counsel argued that the autopsy report produced by the pathologist gave the cause of death as blunt head injury as a result of a fall, saying that had no relation to a slap.

He said the accused was breadwinner and his children needed him more and that he should be granted bail so he could also provide a befitting burial for his late wife.

Madam Salasie Kuwornu, Senior State Attorney, opposed the grant of bail, saying investigations were underway.

She said the Court, in granting bail, should consider the interest of the public and the safety of the accused person.

The State Attorney noted that in the case at hand, the accused person’s safety was at stake.

On March 22, this year, the Madina District Court declined Dedjoe bail because it did not have the jurisdiction to grant it and urged defence counsel to apply at the High Court.

Dedjoe allegedly assaulted his 43-year-old spouse, Lilian, with his slippers following a misunderstanding.

He is being held on the charge of murder with his plea preserved by the District Court.

Prosecution said the complainant was the deceased’s father who was a retired administrator, residing at Sogakope in the Volta Region.

It said Lilian was married to Dedjoe and they lived at East Legon in Accra.



Prosecution said Dedjoe and the deceased’s relationship had, for some time, been marred with some misunderstanding leading to conflicts between them.

On March 2, this year, a misunderstanding ensued between them and as a result, Dedjoe assaulted Lilian who sustained injuries and went to the Madina Polyclinic for treatment.

The prosecution said when Lilian returned home, her condition deteriorated and on March 6, this year, she went into coma and was rushed to the Lister Hospital for treatment but she was pronounced dead on arrival.

A report was made to the police and Dedjoe was arrested. During investigations, he admitted assaulting Lilian with slippers.