Gov’t Capitulates to Prez Outtara’s Pressures

...And Re-arrests former Ivorian minister

Anger and incessant pressure by the Ivorian President, Alassane Dramani Ouattara has forced the President John Dramani Mahama led government to yield with the re-arrest of an ex-Ivorian minister, Mr. Kone Katinan Justin.
Mr. Kone Katinan, who is currently in the grips of the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID), was last week granted a GHC50, 000 bail by the Osu Magistrate Court with two sureties to justify.
Mr. Justin Kone Katinan, an ally of the deposed former President Gbagbo and Budget Minister during the conflict in Cote d’Ivoire has been held in Ghanaian jail since August this year in connection with extradition request from the Ivorian government.
But was granted bail on Tuesday September 25th, 2012 by an Osu Magistrate court presided over by Mr. Aboagye Tandoh.
The court however ordered him to report to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) every fortnight until otherwise directed.
Before granting Mr. Kone Katinan the bail, the court said it considered challenges the prosecution was going through as well as the submissions by his defence counsel.
However, less than 72 hours after he gained his freedom, albeit, temporally, the Ivorian former minister is back in jail at the police headquarters.
Though the reason/ s for the re-arrest and detention of Mr. Kone Katinan is not yet made public, a Ghana Security source told The Al-Hajj, the new development is not unconnected with the reactions of the Ivorian president, Alassane Ouattara when the ex-minister was first given the bail last Tuesday.
This paper last week reported that President Alassane Ouattara is said to be seething with anger over the release of the former Ivorian minister and an ally of former Ivorian President, Laurent Gbagbo by Ghanaian courts last Tuesday 25th September, 2012.
A source close to the Ivorian Presidency who did not want his identity disclosed told The Al-Hajj in a telephone interview that, President Alassane Ouattara was extremely distraught and fuming with rage over the Ghanaian authorities’ handling of the matter and felt stabbed in the back when news about the release of Mr. Justin Kone Katinan got him Tuesday morning.
“I can confirm to you that His Excellency, Alassane Ouattara feels betrayed by his brother, president Mahama and the Ghanaian government over the release of this criminal, Kone Katinan, he is very, very sad”. Our source stated.
The source further told The Al-Hajj that Mr. Ouattara is however expecting to get explanations from the Ghanaian president, John Mahama, currently attending a special session of the United Nations, before deciding on the next line of action.
This is the second major incident with the potential of straining relationship between the two West African neighbours in the last two week.
Ivory Coast on Friday September 21st this year closed its border with Ghana after a series of deadly attacks by elements suspected to be loyalists of former president Laurent Gbagbo which left 8 people dead.
The borders have since remained closed despite assurance from Ghana and which was re-echoed by President John Mahama when he addressed the 67th UN General Assembly in New York last week.
According to yesterday’s edition of the biggest selling Daily Graphic, the former Ivorian Minister Justin Kone Katinan has been charged with murder.

According to the paper, he was first arrested under a warrant and is wanted in his country for war crimes during the post election disturbances in Cote d’Ivoire last year.


His lawyer Patrick Sogbojor, who expressed shocked at the latest development, told Joy News his client refused to sign the charge sheet because he had been denied access to his lawyer at the time.

Patrick Sogbojor said his client “was asked to write a statement and he asked them [security officers] what it was that he was being charged for…they said murder and he said murder of whom? And they said they didn’t know, they couldn’t tell him so my client said well I don’t know anything about it [the charge] and I am not going to speak until I have my lawyer present.”

“…Are we so blind to the law? Are we so blind to what must be done in this country? Can we not just do the right things for once? Lawyer Sogbojor asked.