Beckley seeks bail at Regional Tribunal

The Adjabeng Community Tribunal on Monday adjourned to 8 July the case in which occultist Ram Beckley was charged for kidnapping, to await the outcome of a motion for bail he filed at the Regional Tribunal.

The Regional Tribunal is expected to hear the motion filed by defence on Tuesday, 25 June. On 15 April, this year, Beckley also a medical practitioner, was arraigned at the tribunal for assaulting and kidnapping a class three pupil.

He has pleaded not guilty. Mr Akwasi Bosompim, defence counsel, on 3 June pleaded with the tribunal chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Ankomah to grant his client bail. Mr Bosompim reminded the tribunal that his client had been remanded for more than a month while the Prosecution had been giving different reasons just to keep him in custody.

Counsel said under the criminal code, charges levelled against his client were not mandatory for which bail must be refused. "I am convinced that my client is innocent and the whole charge is a complete frame up," he said.

But the tribunal on 10 June rejected counsel's application and ruled that regarding the complexity of the case and the unusual nature of the exhibits, a month would not be enough to complete investigations.

Mrs Ankomah said forwarding of documents and dockets to the Attorney General's office for advice would take more than a month. She said the tribunal appreciated defence counsel's concern about his client's fundamental human rights and pointed out that protecting the fundamental human rights of the accused included ensuring his security.

Beckley was first arraigned on 15 April and has since been on remand. The facts as presented by the Prosecution are that on 12 April, Beckley, who was driving along the Gbawe-Mallam Road in Accra, saw a young girl selling vegetables.

The accused was said to have lured the girl to join him in his car to his house under the pretext of buying some of the vegetables. In Beckley's house, he tied the girl to a tree overnight without water and food, until her stepfather was informed and he raised the alarm.

Beckley was arrested on Saturday 13 April after Police received a complaint from a parent that her daughter was abducted by the accused on Friday evening. An angry mob set ablaze his residence and property running into millions of cedis at New Gbawe in Accra.