No Space For Woyome... As Court Rejects Application To Review Bail Conditions

The trial judge in the criminal case involving Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome, a business tycoon and three other persons yesterday denied the defence application for the bail condition to be reviewed downwards. Mr. Woyome and his accomplices were all granted bail with two sureties and to report to the police twice a week till the final determination of the case. However, after several adjournments without trial, the defence yesterday put in application for the bail condition to be reviewed for the accused persons to rather report to the police once in a week instead of twice. The defence request for review of the bail condition stemmed from the state prosecution�s inability to commence trial in the case when it was called off for the fifth time since the case was brought to the court. Mr. Safo Buabeng, a member of the defence counsel, said though the defence was not against the prosecution�s request to have the case adjourned to enable investigations to be concluded, their client faces stress as they have to report to the police twice in a week. The defence also reminded the trial judge that, at the last sitting, the court sent a firm warning that it would not take kindly to the inaction of the prosecution to commence the case if it continued to request for time, saying it was time for the court to implement that warning. But the presiding judge, Mr. Justice John Ajet-Nasam, declined the defence�s request to have the bail conditions reviewed downwards. He said the court would not follow individual sentiments in the case but would rather follow the laid down procedures and rules of the court. The court noted that, though the prosecution has disappointed the court in the space of prosecuting the case, the status quo remains the same and therefore declined the defence�s application. Mrs. Yvonne Obuabesiah, a state attorney, representing the Director of Public Prosecution, told the court that, the Attorney General has received the prosecution�s docket from the police and upon perusal, it was detected that, the state needed further investigations into the case. She said, the Director of Public Prosecution has therefore requested that, the case be adjourned for four weeks enable the police to conclude investigation, after which the state would come to the court to set a date for commencement of trial. �My Lord, we are still gathering some evidence to enable us to start the trial, because the docket before us is not complete and the investigation team has to do further investigation to authenticate the case docket before us, so we plead for more time,� the state prosecutor stated. The state attorney said the documents before the prosecution were not credible enough to start the trial and that the state was making frantic efforts to get the case to commence as soon as everything was ready, adding that after evaluation if there was a case against the accused persons, the state would commence trial.