The 35-year-old businessman accused of the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale has been denied bail by the Accra High Court.
In a ruling, the court presided over by Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie stated that it was currently unable to admit Daniel Koranteng Owusu—who is facing a provisional charge of abetment and murder at the Madina District Court—to bail.
However, the judge assured him that the bail application could be considered in the future.
Motion
Moving the motion for bail, his lawyer, Nathaniel Egbor, argued that the prosecution’s facts did not support the charges preferred against the accused.
He added that the accused, if granted bail, would not interfere with investigations and stressed that the refusal of bail should not be used as a tool to punish his client.
Counsel further submitted that the constitutional right to presume an accused person innocent until proven guilty meant that restraining the applicant’s liberty violated his constitutional right to freedom of movement.
To reinforce his argument that his client was not a flight risk, counsel disputed claims that the accused had evaded justice and was arrested only upon returning to the country in August this year.
He pointed out that, according to the prosecution’s own account, the deceased was murdered in January 2019, and the accused left the country in September 2019.
Counsel also argued that there was no evidence to show the accused had remained in the jurisdiction throughout but had rather been travelling in and out of the country like any ordinary citizen.
Opposition
Opposing the application, Assistant State Attorney Maame Afua Osei Gyamerah argued that the opposition to bail was not intended to punish the accused but to ensure he faced trial, given what she described as a reasonable suspicion of his involvement in the crime.
The ASA stated that call detail records showed the accused person’s phone number had been connected to the applicant’s neighbourhood on four separate days prior to Suale’s death.
The prosecution urged the court to reject the bail application, describing it as premature due to ongoing investigations.
Background
Owusu was initially charged with one count of murder at the Madina District Court when he first appeared on March 19 this year.
However, at his second court appearance, the state amended the charge sheet to include a count of abetment of crime contrary to Section 20(1) of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
He is accused of abetting two other suspects—who are currently on the run—to murder Ahmed Suale at his home on January 16, 2019.
Owusu is also facing a substantive charge of murder contrary to Section 46 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
The prosecution has alleged that he sent pictures of the deceased to Kennedy Agyapong, who later displayed them on Net2 TV and called for “retribution” against him.
“Accused person, having known the deceased’s place of abode and possible hideouts, led two other culprits currently at large to the house of the deceased, where he was shot and killed,” the charge sheet stated.
