Fatau Ibrahim and Yakubu Tahiru aka Rasta
THE TWO persons who have been accused of setting fire into various markets in the country were yesterday charged at an Accra Circuit Court.
The two, Yakubu Tahiru aka Rasta and Fatau Ibrahim were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and causing damage to markets within the Accra metropolis at the court presided over by Francis Obiri.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, Chief Superintendent Duuti Tuaruka, prayed the court to remand the accused persons because investigations were ongoing. According to him, some accomplices were on the run and therefore would need the accused persons to assist in investigations.
Their lawyer, Carl Adongo, prayed for bail for them on grounds that the prosecution had failed to link the accused persons to the crime.
He stated that the prosecution’s case was based on conjectures and that was not acceptable in criminal trials. Counsel who observed that the offences were bailable ones stated that the accused persons were prepared to make themselves available to the court anytime and have people of substance stand sureties for them.
Although the court agreed with the defence that the prosecution has not shown how the accused persons would interfere with investigations when granted bail, Mr. Obiri stated that since investigations were ongoing, the accused persons should be kept in custody to assist the police.
The case was adjourned to July 10.
The two out of five people accused by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of setting fires to various markets in the country were on Tuesday, put before an Accra District Court.
However, the magistrate declined jurisdiction.
The two suspects were arrested by the police in Accra, after preliminary investigations allegedly found them responsible for some of the fires that had consumed major markets in Accra and Kumasi.
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