Agyapong's lawyers discontinue habeas corpus case

April 25, 2012 (Page 11) LAWYERS for the Member of Parliament for Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong, who is standing trial for pitting Ashantis against Gas and Ewes and declaring war, have discontinued an application which had prayed the Human Rights Court to order the Inspector General of Police to produce the MP. The court, presided over by Mr. Justice Kwesi Essel-Mensah, had on April 19, 2012 granted bail in the sum of GHC200,000 with two surties, one to be justified to Agyapong who had been in custody since April 16, 2012. Following his continuous incarceration, his lawyers filed an application for habeas corpus praying the court to order the IGP to produce the MP in court. The court obliged, granted the MP bail on health grounds and ordered the IGP to produce the MP and explain to the court why the MP should continuously be kept in detention. Barely four hours after the MP had been granted bail, he was hauled to the Fast Track High Court charged with three counts of treason felony, attempted genocide and engaging in terrorism act for allegedly inciting Ashantis against Ewes and Gas as well as declaring war. He was, however, granted bail in the sum of GHC200,000 with one surety by the Fast Track High Court presided over by Mr. Justice Charles Quist. As a result of the grant of bail to the MP, one of his lawyers, Mr. Andy Appiah-Kubi, went before the Human Rights Court today and expressed the decision of the applicant to discontinue the application for habeas corpus. He narrated events which had eventually resulted in the grant of bail to his client and said, there was, therefore, no need for the application to be pursued. Mr. Appiah-Kubi told the court that, although, Agyapong was currently not in detention, his sugar level was currently high. The presiding judge granted Mr. Appiah-Kubi’s application and subsequently struck out the application for habeas corpus. The premises of the Fast Track High Court, was a scene of wild jubilation and excitement when the MP was granted bail on April 19, 2012. Hundreds of supporters, who had besieged the court premise, could not hide their excitement when they carried the MP shoulder high and sprinkled talcum powder on the MP. The court granted bail to the accused person after his lead counsel, Mr. Ayikoi Otoo, had prayed the court to grant him bail on the grounds that the facts upon which the MP was being held did not support the charges leveled against him. In granting the bail, the court also bonded the MP to be of good behavior until the final determination of the criminal action against him.