Ex-MP's Lover Spends Christmas In Jail

The case of three person standing trial for allegedly conspiring to rob J.B. Danquah Adu, ex-MP for Abuakwa North and former deputy Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs under the Kufuor administration has once again been adjourned.

Narteley Nettey Yirenkyiwaa, 24, the ex-Minister’s girlfriend, together with Charles Antwi and Nana Yaw Ampaw, who have been charged with attempting to rob the ex-MP, would spend both Christmas and New Year in jail because the court has refused them bail.

On December 15, 2010 when the prosecution was expected to bring the third prosecution witness (PW3) to testify in the case, an officer from the Attorney-General’s Department who was in the courtroom told the court that his colleague, Bismark Bakoma, who is prosecuting the case, was indisposed, compelling the court to adjourn proceedings.

When the case was called yesterday, the prosecution, led by Mr. Bakoma, who was expected to call another witness to testify, told the court: "My lord, I wish to inform the court that I have instructions from above to discontinue this case and allow my senior to handle it permanently.”

This did not go down well with C.K. Mintah, one of the defense counsel, who immediately announced to the court that he was officially applying for bail for the accused persons. He said, “I would like to take this opportunity to apply to the court to admit the accused persons to bail.”

He argued that pieces of evidence adduced before the court so far did not point to the offence of robbery as indicated in Sections 23 and 49 of the Criminal and other Offences Act, Act 29 of 1960.

He asked the court to take into consideration the fact that the accused had been in police custody for more than 100 days.

The trial judge, Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh, said it was premature for counsel to apply for bail for the accused persons, considering the fact that they were being tried on charges like robbery. “I am also not happy that they are in custody but my hands are tied under the law. It would not be fair for me to grant bail in the middle of the prosecution’s case when they have not even closed their case.”

He then urged the prosecution to expedite action on the matter and adjourned proceedings until January 14, 2011.

According to the police, Yirenkyiwaa, together with Antwi and Ampaw, conspired to rob J.B Danquah Adu, ex-MP for Abuakwa North, at the East Legon apartment of his girlfriend on August 26, 2010. The three have pleaded not guilty to three counts of conspiracy, causing harm and robbery and are still in police custody.

The facts are that on the morning of August 26, Ms. Yirenkyiwaa called the complainant, her estranged boyfriend, to meet her at Protea Hotel. When they met, she asked for financial help from him and they agreed to meet later at her house.

When Mr. Adu got to her house, he met Yirenkyiwaa outside, who took him into the house. They then proceeded to her bedroom where she allegedly undressed him.

The prosecution said after she had done this, the other two accused persons came out of the bathroom where they were hiding and started taking photographs, after which they attacked the complainant with a knife and took his pair of trousers which contained GH¢1000.