<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation" hidden>[2020]DLHC10097</p> <div class="restriction-wrapper"> <div class="container-lg"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12 restricted-content"> <div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper"> <div class="lock-icon bounce-7"> <img class="" src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png" alt="Subscription based content"> </div> </div> <a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> Login to Read Full Case </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#00B0F0">THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#00B0F0">DANIEL OFORI & 3 ORS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">[HIGH COURT, (CRIMINAL DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:144.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; text-indent:-144.0pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">CC NO. CR 0046/2020 DATE: 2<sup>ND</sup> NOVEMBER, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">SAMUEL JOHNSON OBOUBI (FOR A3 AND A4)<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm; mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">LAURA MOREEN AGBLEY BENSON (NOT SUBSTANTIVE ATTORNEY)<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">CORAM:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:144.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-144.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE RUBY ARYEETEY<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:144.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; text-indent:-144.0pt;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">RULING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:144.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-144.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">The accused/applicants, A3 and A4 are seeking bail pending trial having been charged together with three others for offences of conspiracy and murder. The main crux of this application is that A3 and A4 have remained in police custody for 1 year 6 months and 10<sup>th</sup> months respectively however committal proceedings is yet to be conducted. Also that there is no indication whatsoever as to when this will commence and their continuous detention is therefore unreasonable. They have also submitted that their continuous detention in custody is affecting consultation with their lawyers. Indeed as counsel has stated a court of competent jurisdiction has the discretion to grant or refuse bail guided by Section 96 (1) – (6) of act 30. The factors which should be taken into consideration are the nature of the accusation, the nature of the evidence or facts supporting the accusation and whether the punishment for the sentence is heavy. Act 14(3) and (4) mandates bail for all offences but one requirement which is apparent is the provision that a person charged with an offence is entitled to bail if not tried within a reasonable time. What constitutes “reasonable time” has been given different interpretations in a plethora of Ghanaian cases and also depends on the circumstances of each case. In this present case 1 year 6 month and 10 months respectively in custody for the case of murder and facts in my estimation does not constitute unreasonable delay. I am of the view that the charge and its punishment in a hearing one and accused persons if admitted to bail would not appear to stand time. The application for bail is therefore refused.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:144.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-144.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:144.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-144.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:144.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-144.0pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"> <b>RUBY ARYEETEY (MS)</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm; margin-left:144.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:36.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial"> (JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></span></main>
