Court of Appeal refuses Abodakpi's bail application

Accra, Nov. 1, GNA - The Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal on Thursday dismissed an application for bail brought before it by Dan Abodakpi, convicted Member of Parliament for Keta.

The three-member panel of the court, in an unanimous decision stated that since the record of proceedings from the court below that convicted and imprisoned Abodakpi, was not available at the court, it could not go into the merits of the grounds for the application. Consequently, the court, presided over by Mr Justice B T Aryeetey, with Mrs Justice Mariama Owusu and Mr Justice Marful Sau, refused the bail application for the convict.

Abodakpi has since been escorted back to the Nsawam Prison where he is currently serving a 10-year jail term. On February 5, this year, an Accra Fast Track Court presided over by Mr Justice Steve Twerefuor Farkye (retired), found Abodakpi guilty of conspiracy to commit crime, by wilfully causing financial loss to the State, and accordingly convicted and imprisoned him. Not satisfied with the court's ruling, Mr Tony Lithur, counsel for the convict, filed an application for bail for his client the following day at the same court.

When the application came up for hearing, the trial judge dismissed it on the grounds that when granted bail, Mr Abodakpi who had all his children outside the country, might abscond. It was this same bail application brought to the Court of Appeal by counsel, which was dismissed today.

Counsel may take the matter to the highest court of the land, that is, the Supreme Court.

If the Supreme Court grants the application, the jailed MP will be out of prison for a while, until his application against his conviction and sentence is determined by the same court.