Court hears PNC bail application tomorrow

March 9, 2011 (Centre Spread)
THE Accra Fast-Track High Court will tomorrow hear a bail application filed by three executives of the People's National Convention (PNC) who were remanded in custody by the Adjabeng District Magistrate’s Court on February 14, 2011.
The court last Thursday said it would not renew its orders that revoked the bail granted to three members of the PNC accused of breaking into the party's headquarters.
Baba Ghana Seidu and Ahmed Gado, who appeared before the court on February 24, had their bail revoked because they had flouted the court's order.
On March 3, 2011, a third accused person, Dr Somtim Tobiga, who was absent on February 24, also had his bail revoked.
The presiding magistrate, Mrs Faustina Mary Addington, after revoking their bail, further ordered the agents, assigns and workmen of the accused persons to vacate the premises until the final determination of the case.
According to the court, it had not received from the High Court any application that enjoined the accused persons to flout the orders.
When the matter was called at the High Court in Accra yesterday, a representative of the Attorney-General's Office, Mrs Dora Quaye, informed the court that her outfit was short served with the motion and, therefore, needed a short adjournment in order to study the bail application.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Charles Quist, accordingly adjourned the case to March 10, 2011 to enable the A-G's Office to respond appropriately.
The three executives were absent from court but their relatives and sympathisers thronged the court premises in their numbers.
Dr Tobiga, Seidu and Gado are standing trial on charges of stealing and causing harm.
The magistrate’s court had earlier granted a GH¢4,000 bail each to Dr Tobiga and Seidu.
Gado, the third accused person, who also denied the charges, was granted a GH¢3,000 bail with two sureties, one of whom was to be justified by the court.
The bail was revoked by the court after Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd) had informed it that the accused persons had flouted its orders.
According to him, the accused persons were still occupying the party's offices, despite the orders of the court made on January 6, 2011 that they should vacate them.
Capt. Effah-Dartey, therefore, prayed the court to revoke the bail by sending them back to custody until they complied with the orders of the court.