Lawyer Sulley Sambian, Regional Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the Savannah Region, has explained that the fact that all offences in Ghana are bailable, that’s every suspect arrested for allegedly committing whatever crime can be granted bail does not necessarily mean that every suspect will be bailed.
He noted that the discretion to grant bail is in the hands of a Court of competent jurisdiction.
His explanation was in reaction to Felix Kwakye Ofosu’s questioning of the basis of reminding persons accused of minor infractions of the law into prison custody when even graver offences are bailable.
But Mr Sambian swiftly reacted with a clarification of what the law provides on the bailability of offences.
“The Supreme Court has ruled that all offences are bailable. On what basis are courts remanding persons accused of very minor infractions to prison custody for days?” Mr Kwakye Ofosu quizzed.
But Mr Sambian explained: “The discretion to grant bail still resides in the bosom of the judge. There is a difference between all offences being bailable and the discretion of the judge to grant the bail, sir.”
Background
Ghana’s Dancehall King Shatta Wale was remanded for a week by an Accra Circuit Court for publishing false news and causing fear and panic.
The Dancehall King and three members of his team are said to have published fake news of the artiste being shot by unknown assailants.
After the Ghana Police Service personnel combed the whole of Accra to no avail, Shatta Wale in a statement shared on his social media indicated that he was not shot but had to publish the fake news because his life was in danger after a prophet prophesied that he was going to die on October 18.
The Prophet who is known as Jesus Ahuofe was arrested but was later granted bail after his lawyer argued that he was sick.