The Dansoman Circuit Court has granted bail to Hopeson Adorye in the sum of GHc20,000 after pleading not guilty to the charge of “Publication of false news.”
As part of his bail conditions, the Court said he is to produce two sureties one of whom should be justified.
The 54-year-old businessman said to also be a professional teacher was arrested following his self-confession that he detonated dynamite in the Volta Region during the 2016 elections.
The Court presided over by Her Honour Halima Abdul El-Lawal Basit while granting bail said, the prosecution has the available resources to be able to conduct further investigations.
In Court on Thursday, May 23, he was arraigned on the charge of Publication of False News, contrary to Sections 208(1) of the Criminal Offenses Act, 1960, (Act 29).
Argument for bail
Making an oral submission for bail, Counsel for the Accused, Kweku Attakora Dwomoh, who was led by Yaw Buaben Asamoa argued that, their client is ready to avail himself for trial.
He submitted that the accused is a businessman and a teacher with over 20 years of experience and is someone who had not been convicted for any offense in excess of six months.
While relying on Article 14(2) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 96 of the Criminal and Other Offenses Act, 1960, Act 30, counsel pointed to the presumption of innocence of the accused until proven guilty.
He argued that the offense leveled against his client is a misdemeanor and it is punishable by a fine or an imprisonment not in excess of three years.
Lawyer Attakora Dwomoh also submitted that the accused is a man of substance and again has persons of sufficient means to stand as sureties for him.
However, the Prosecution vehemently opposed the grant of bail on the grounds that, the said allegations had to be taken seriously.
The Prosecution said the charge of publication of false news is of public interest especially when the allegations were said to have been made in an election year.
He argued that the accused when granted bail would interfere with investigations and prayed the Court to remand him into Police custody.
It was the submission of the Prosecution that, because the allegation was made in an election year, the outcome will help deal with situations in the 2024 election.
But, the Court after considering the submissions made and in exercising her discretion, admitted the accused to bail.
EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah is reporting that some members of the Movement for Change thronged the Court to lend support to the accused.
Brief facts
Per the brief fact of the case as narrated by the prosecution were that, on May 21, 2024, the attention of the police administration was drawn to a video recording that had gone viral on social media involving accused Hopeson Yaovi Adorye.
The Prosecution stated that, in the said video, the accused was seen and heard saying among other things that prior to the 2016 general elections, he took it upon himself to prevent Togolese from coming to vote in Ghana.
According to the prosecution, in his statement, which was made on air on May 2, 2024, at Accra FM (100.5) on a show dubbed “The Citizen Show” hosted by Nana Otu Darko, the accused said “he engaged the services of five (5) persons from the Volta Region to throw “dynamites” along the border in Togo in order to scare voters from crossing the border to vote in Ghana during the 2016 general elections.”
It said, that on May 22, 2024, the accused was arrested for investigation, and in his investigation caution statement, “he admitted the content of the video and claimed that it was not dynamite that was used but rather firecrackers.”
The Prosecution said the investigation is still ongoing.
