The six accused, who were arrested in connection with the killing of a soldier, Imoro Sherrif, in Ashaiman, in the Greater Accra Region, have once again been remanded into police custody.
This was when they appeared before the Ashaiman Circuit Court yesterday, during pre-trial proceedings, charged with stealing, robbery and receiving dishonest items.
They are, Safianu Musah alias Dayorgu, Ibrahim Abdul Rakib, Samuel Tetteh alias Wiper, Abubakar Sadick, alias Birdman, Yussif Mohammed and Abdul Gafaru Abdul Karim.
Tetteh and Sadick, who have been charged with robbery and murder, had no counsel when they appeared before the court presided over by Mr. Simon Gaga, whiles the four others, who were charged for dishonest receiving of item, were represented by Abdul Fatawu Alhassan and Shiabu Mohammed.
Mr. Alhassan, who reapplied for bail for the accused, said, the prosecution was given enough time by the court to complete its investigations during the previous sitting, he, therefore, wondered why it was asking for more time, arguing that, the 1992 Constitution stipulates that trial of accuse, should be held within reasonable time.
Mr. Alhassan told the court that granting of bail should not be seen as a punishment, saying that, the prosecution did not tell the court that the accused will interfere with investigations if granted bail.
He stated that the accused (three of those charged with dishonest receiving) who he represents have men of substance to stand surety for them and won’t pose as flight risk.
Mr. Mohammed, representing one of the accused, associated himself with lawyer Alhassan.
However, opposing the bail application, Superintendent Sylvester Asare, the prosecutor, said investigations were still ongoing and the accused would interfere.
He said the accused did not have places of abode with house numbers and could be a flight risk.
The prosecution further urged the court not to grant them bail, considering the public interest of the case.
The judge upheld the argument of Supt. Asare and accordingly refused to grant bail.
It is the case of the prosecution that the accused, namely Tetteh and Sadick fatally attacked Sherrif at Taifa in Ashaiman at about 1:30am on March 4.
The prosecutor said the two stabled the solider and robbed him of his iPhone, which was subsequently sold to Ibrahim for GH¢300, who resold it to Safianu for GH¢350.
Supt. Asare said that Safianu alleged that he sold the phone to Mohammed and Karim.
Before his demise, Sherrif was born and raised in Ashaiman but was stationed at the 3rd Battalion Infantry in Sunyani, Bono Region.
He was in Accra to attend a military programme, and on Friday, March 3, 2023, he sort permission to visit his parents at Ashaiman.
Sherrif was however found dead in a pool of blood on the dawn of Saturday, March 4, and has since been laid to rest.
