THE REPUBLIC vs. PRINCE SACKEY, EMMANUEL ATTRAM, JOHN KWABENA ATTRAM, JOSEPH KPAKPO, RICHMOND KWAKU, AYITEY PRASO (AT LARGE) [2009]DLHC4363

THE REPUBLIC vs. PRINCE SACKEY, EMMANUEL ATTRAM, JOHN KWABENA ATTRAM, JOSEPH KPA... [2009]DLHC4363

Date	2009-02-13
Suit No.	SUIT NO. HRC/03/2009
Citation No.	[2009]DLHC4363

JUSTICE U. P. DERY.

MR. SAMPSON OBENG FOR APPLICANTS

[2009]DLHC4363
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="OLE_LINK1">THE
REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p></a>vs.<o:p></o:p>PRINCE SACKEY, EMMANUEL ATTRAM, JOHN KWABENA ATTRAM, JOSEPH
KPAKPO, RICHMOND KWAKU, AYITEY PRASO (AT LARGE)<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[HIGH COURT (HUMAN RIGHTS DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

SUIT NO. HRC/03/2009&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 13TH FEBRUARY, 2009 <o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MR.
SAMPSON OBENG FOR APPLICANTS<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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JUSTICE
U. P. DERY., JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>This ruling is in
respect of an APPLICATION FOR BAIL
brought by Sampson Obeng, Counsel
for five accused persons namely Prince
Sackey, alias Teacher, Emmanuel Attram, alias Shadow, John Kwabena Attram,
Joseph Kpakpo, and Richmond Kwaku.<o:p></o:p>The undisputed facts
upon which this application has been brought are that the applicants were arrested
on 18-08-2008 at their various homes
at Gbawe and subsequently arraigned
before the Adjabeng District Court
on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder. One Ayitey Praso is mentioned on the charge sheet as one of the
accomplices.<o:p></o:p>At the District
Court, it was disclosed that on 16-08-2008
during the celebration of the Homowo
festival, there was a clash at Weija
between rival gangs from different sides of a chieftaincy dispute. In the
process, Ayitey Praso shot and
killed one Alfred Quartey Attram. It
is the case of the applicants that at the material time of this incident they
were at Gbawe and, therefore,
nowhere near the incident at Weija.<o:p></o:p>It is on record that
the police have completed their investigations and have filed the Bill of Indictment and Summary of Evidence and same have been
served on the applicants since 29-10-2008.
It is the case of the applicants that they are in custody without any lawful
authority for the warrant covering their incarceration has long expired.<o:p></o:p>This application was
filed on 28-01-2009 and same was
duly served on the Attorney General,
the respondent, on 29-01-2009. The
respondent never filed any affidavit in opposition neither did he appear at the
hearing.<o:p></o:p>The applicants are
bringing this application under Article
33 of the 1992 Constitution of
Ghana. The relevant provision is Article
33(1) which states as follows:<o:p></o:p>“Where a person alleges that a
provision of this Constitution on the fundamental human rights and freedoms has
been, or is being, or is likely to be contravened in relation to him, then,
without prejudice to any other action that is lawfully available, that person
may apply to the High Court for redress”<o:p></o:p>In other words the
applicants are alleging that their rights to liberty enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution have
been infringed by their continuous incarceration by the state since 18-08-2008 and as such they are seeking
for bail.<o:p></o:p>The relevant
provisions of Article 14 of the
Constitution state as follows:<o:p></o:p>“14(1)
Every person shall be entitled to his
personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of his personal liberty…<o:p></o:p>(4)
Where a person arrested, restricted or
detained… is not tried within a reasonable time, then without p</main>