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Crime & Punishment of Friday, 5 April 2013

Source: GNA

Court to hold prosecutors responsible

A Circuit Court in Accra on Thursday said it would now hold Police Prosecutors responsible for the absence of remand prisoners.

Ms Sedina Agbemava the Trial Judge explained that the Prosecutors have been begging her to remand accused persons in prison custody since their cells were choked.

However, as soon as the request is granted and the accused person is remanded into prison custody, “the police prosecutors renege on their responsibility and do not ensure that the suspects are brought back to court.

Some of the cases were therefore adjourned as a result of that.

This came to light when Police Prosecutors failed to bring two persons namely Amos Ola Tewgbade and Olenkumade Olatumi, footballers to court for their case to be heard.

The two are charged for conspiracy and defilement.

They had pleaded not guilty and have since been on remanded, although their defence counsel was present, the absence of the accused persons compelled the court to adjourn the case to May 10.

The trial judge revoked the remand warrant covering the accused persons at Nsawam prisons and asked that they should be kept at Tesano Police Cells.

The situation forced the trail judge to state that; “now am going to hold police prosecutors accountable for the absence of remand prisoners.

“Is this a joke or what? You beg us to remand accused persons into prison custody because the police cells are choked and when we do that it now becomes albatross on our neck,” she added.