By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, Nov. 12, GNA – An Accra High Court has varied the bail terms of Osei Assibey Antwi, a former Director General, National Service Authority (NSA), from GH₵800 million to GH₵623 million.
This was after the lawyers for the accused pleaded with the court to vary the bail terms of their client, saying the original amount was the highest in the history of bail conditions in the country.
Mr Alex Osei Wusu, one of the lawyers argued that the substantive intention of the bail eliminating flight risk had been met, as the accused person’s passports had been deposited to the court and he had been placed on a no-flight list.
“The present bail terms in terms of properties standing at GH₵800 million, if converted to $80 million at an exchange rate of one dollar to GH₵10, mean that even if the applicant is able to mobilize property at a cost of 1 million dollars this being the average cost of a house in a Grade A area in Accra, it means the applicant must provide 80 of those houses,” he said.
Madam Dufie Prempeh, Principal State Attorney, initially opposed the application for bail variation, arguing that the conditions were reasonable.
She said the former Director could find men and women to stand as surety for him since he was a former Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister.
The Court after hearing arguments from counsel on both sides granted the application to vary the bail terms and set the new amount at GH₵623 million with six sureties to be justified.
All other original bail conditions remain the same.
The accused person pleaded not guilty to all 14 counts, including causing financial loss to the State, stealing, and money laundering involving GH¢1.5 billion.
GNA
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong