The Accra Circuit Court has denied bail to Wontumi TV presenter, Akyenkwaa Nana Kofi Asare, following his arrest for allegedly linking President John Dramani Mahama to the recent helicopter crash that claimed eight lives.

Addressing the press after the court proceedings on Thursday, August 14, 2025, Kofi Asare’s legal counsel, Enoch Anhwere Afoakwah, described the ruling as a miscarriage of justice.

Explaining his position, he stated that the court’s decision to deny his client bail was allegedly based on the need to calm public tempers, which he argued was improper ground for such a ruling.

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“What happened this afternoon in court, I can say is a miscarriage of justice because the grounds on which the bail was not to be admitted does not comply with the law. It was not complied with in the sense that the grounds upon which the sitting judge refused to grant the accused person bail, is untenable and not known to the law that he's not granting him bail to calm tempers down,” he said.

Afoakwah expressed concern over the court’s decision, stating that there were individuals ready and willing to stand as sureties for his client, a point he raised in court, but proved futile.

He also questioned the court’s decision to deny his client bail on the grounds of calming tempers and demanded answers from the police to make their position known.

“We are asking, the police is the complainant in this matter. Is, the police fighting with us? Are they angered? What is the posture of the Ghana Police Service? I believe the police are the ones whose tempers are high. These are the questions that you need to ask because when you clearly read Section 95 (5) and session 96 (6), it states clearly that the court must admit a person to bail on the grounds that the accused person will appear to stand trial any time any day that the accused person is called upon to appear to before the court.”

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“And the grounds upon which the court must grant bail is that the person must have the fixed place of abode in the country where he can be located. The person must have sureties who have sufficient and substantial means with proven integrity. I prayed the court that Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako is a man of substance and sufficient means with proven integrity who is also the shareholder of Wontumi media, present in court and willing to stand as surety for him.

Mr Gordon Asare Bediako, a renowned broadcast journalist, was also in court and is also willing to post bail for the accused person. Upon all this and others, the court did not find favour in all these,” he decried.

Afoakwah also asserted that the police, after arresting his client, have yet to serve them with disclosures or inform them of any intention to proceed with the case in court.

“They have not served us with any disclosures. They have not indicated to us that they are proceeding with trial of which they have served us with disclosures as ascribed by the Supreme Court in the Republic vs Baffoe Bonnie case,” he added.

MAG/VPO

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