Agya Koo granted bail

January 22, 2013 (Front page) POPULAR actor in the local movie industry, Kofi Adu, popularly known as Agya Koo, said to have defrauded a number of people was yesterday granted a GH¢20,000 bail with two sureties by the Accra Circuit Court. His case was adjourned to today to enable the prosecution to correct defects on the charge sheet. Noted for his humorous comments, Agya Koo, who is alleged to have defrauded a number of people under the pretext of securing them visas to travel abroad, looked far from excited when an investigator escorted him into the courtroom. Clad in a black T-shirt over a pair of jeans, Agya Koo fumed and said in Twi, “Seize the camera. Does he think there are kids here?” when he saw a Daily Graphic photographer made an attempt to take his picture. While in the dock, Agya Koo appeared pensive and looked fixedly at Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ms Mary Agbozo, when she informed the court that the prosecution could not proceed with the case yesterday because there were anomalies on the charge sheet. She, therefore, prayed the court to adjourn the case to enable the prosecution to correct the said defects. Ms Agbozo said the prosecution was not asking the court to remand the accused, but intimated, “As I speak, there is a warrant in force for his arrest.” Counsel for Agya Koo, Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Darteh (retd), informed the court that the accused person reported himself to the police and for that reason he should be granted bail. “The accused person is a famous actor in Ghana. He has nowhere to hide and cannot hide,” Capt Effah-Darteh stressed. He also reminded the court that the offence his client was alleged to have committed was not rape, murder, robbery, defilement or any related first degree felony charge and, therefore, it was important for the court to grant him bail. Counsel explained that his client could not report himself as ordered by the court because he was on a government-sponsored trip to Abu Dhabi and received a call while boarding an aircraft that he was needed by the police. Under the circumstance, counsel explained, his client had no choice but embark on the trip and report himself to the police later. Agya Koo was placed in police custody last Friday until yesterday, January 21, 2013. After a publication of the bench warrant for his arrest in the Friday, January 18, 2013 edition of the Daily Graphic, 13 more people reported to the police that each of them had been defrauded of $1,850 by the comedian under the pretext of securing United States of America (USA) visas for them. writer’s email: mabel.baneseh@graphic.com.gh