Two suspects arrested in connection with the murder of a nurse at Sewua Health Center in the Ashanti Region, have been denied bail by the Asokwa District Court.
Dominic Fosu and Kofi Gariba, driver and mason respectfully, made their maiden appearance in a packed court dominated by relatives of the deceased, including the husband.
The court turned down an application for bail by the lawyer for Fosu, Bismark Nsiah Aboagye, who argued the rights of his client have been violated since his arrest two weeks ago.
The presiding judge, Madam Korkor Owusu Akyaw, indicated the court lacks jurisdiction to grant bail in the murder of the nurse whose death shocked the nation.
The body of 37-year old Ruth Ama Eshun, was found at a secluded area near her residence at Ayuom New Site in the Bosomtwe District of Ashanti on February 4, 2020.
The family of the mother of three who has since been buried was first to call for justice for the late nurse.
The nursing fraternity, comprising 13-bodies, threatened to withdraw services over her unresolved murder.
The Regional Police Command subsequently arrested two persons one of them, Dominic Fosu, is believed to be the owner of a mobile phone found at the crime scene.
Lawyers for the first accused, Bismark Nsiah Aboagye, argued his client’s continued detention amounts to a violation of his human rights.
“Bail does not mean that the police must take a panic decision to arrest a person simply because it is a national issue…It’s a human rights issue and anybody can be arrested. If you allow the fact that we are doing investigations, anybody can be put at the police cells,” he told journalists.
He said the popular driver who plies the Esereso-Atonsu has sureties who can produce him whenever he is needed.
“Dominic is a person who voluntarily went to the police to inquire about his phone because he got information that the police have a missing phone. So he went to the assembly member, the chiefs of Sewua to accompany him to the police station. Ordinarily, someone who has committed an offence by his conduct, will not show up at the police station but he availed himself, he co-operated with police,” the lawyer added.
The prosecution, led by Chief Superintendent Kofi Bragogi, however, insisted it would be premature to grant the accused bail when a search is ongoing to arrest other accomplices.
The court turned down the bail application and remanded the accused persons into police custody to reappear on March 11, 2020.
Lawyer Nsiah Aboagye later told journalists he will file for bail for his client at the High Court.
“I put a very cogent argument before the court but the presiding judge and the prosecution disagreed with my application. In fact, I will proceed to the High Court and I’m surely certainly the High Court judge will look at the evidence and grant bail to the accused person.”