Tsibu Darko Freed on Bail

RINCE TSIBU Darko, the suspected cocaine peddler and owner of Hotel Koreana in Tema, will today breathe the air of freedom after five months in custody.

This followed the decision of the state not to oppose bail in the case in which he is standing trial for allegedly dealing in prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs.

At an Accra Fast-Track High Court yesterday, the State Attorney, Mrs Yvonne Obuobisa, told the court presided over by Justice Jones Dotse that the prosecution was still conducting further investigations into the matter, but would not oppose bail, if counsel applied for one.

Mrs. Obuobisa, who announced in court that the accused person was on admission at the Nyaho Clinic, Maamobi, a suburb of Accra, noted that it was also a factor that warranted his bail.

She was however of the view that the bail terms should be such that the accused would surely be available when the trial resumed.

However, the trial Judge was of the view that the bail application should be filed by counsel for Tsibu, Yonni Kulendi, so he could be granted bail today, after the motion for bail had been argued in court.

At the last hearing date, a Principal State Attorney, William Kpobi asked for one last adjournment, to enable the prosecution gather evidence to commence the trial, when Justice Dotse asked when the evidence would be ready for the trial to begin.

The accused person was however refused bail by the court on grounds that the prosecution had admitted it needed time to conclude evidence, and this was accordingly granted.

Tsibu Darko has pleaded not guilty to doing prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs, and has been on remand for five months, despite numerous applications for bail by his counsel.

The facts of the matter as presented by the State Attorney were that, the accused person, in-mid 2005, exported 3,700 kilogrammes of cocaine to a European country, but was intercepted by the security agencies in that country, a matter the state was still investigating.

He was first tried in a Circuit Court, but later transferred to a High Court, where he was granted bail.

The state however, refused to release him, and he was quickly re-arrested a few hours later.

Other lawyers who represented Tsibu were Charles Puozuing, Alhaji Ishak Alhassan, led by Gabriel Pwamang while the State was represented by Mrs Obuobisa and Stella Badu.

By Fidelia Achama