Nana Darkwah Refused Bail

Supporters and sympathizers of Nana Darkwah who thronged the Accra Circuit Court Monday with the hope that he would be granted bail left disappointed.

This was after the court, presided over by Francis Obiri, had refused to grant him bail.

Darkwah, who one time accused former President Jerry John Rawlings of being responsible for the burning of his (Rawlings’) own residence at Ridge in Accra, has been accused of possessing a plastic bowl containing a slab suspected to be Cannabis, popularly called wee.

The trial judge stated that the facts presented by the prosecution supported the charges.

According to him, the offence of narcotics was a non-bailable one, and he could therefore not grant the suspect bail.

The judge stated that there had been unreasonable delay in the trial because the prosecution had stated that they were working to ensure that they conclude investigations.

He said he could therefore not let the suspect go on bail and so the case was subsequently adjourned to September 10, 2014.

Darkwah’s counsel, Kissi Adjabeng, had applied for bail at the last hearing.

His client has been charged with possessing narcotic drugs without lawful authority, but he denied any wrongdoing.

Narrating events leading to the arrest of the accused person, Inspector Kwabena Adu told the court that the complainant is a police inspector stationed at Amasaman, near Accra, whilst Nana Darkwah is self-employed and resident of New Town, an Accra suburb.

He said on August 10, 2014 the complainant was in-charge of the Amasaman and its environs Day Patrol Team and had information that land guards had been harassing some land developers at Ayawaso.

According to him, the police officer was on the way to the site when he spotted a wooden kiosk with a plastic bowl containing a slab of brownish substance suspected to be wee.

The prosecutor maintained that Nana Darkwah had a box of matches, a pack of King Size cigarettes and a lighter; and upon seeing the police, he took to his heels.

The inspector stated that the police immediately gave the accused person a hot chase and had him arrested together with the exhibits.