WOII Esther Saan aka Mama Gee
An Accra High Court has restored the bail granted to WOII Esther Saan aka Mama Gee, the only female among 10 persons standing trial for allegedly planning a coup to overthrow the Akufo-Addo NPP-led government.
The court also rescinded a warrant issued for her arrest after she failed to show up for the trial the last time and her lawyer could not provide the court with any document to justify her absence.
Her lawyer, Lamtin Apanga, on November 10, could not tell the court the whereabouts of his client except to say that she had called him to inform him that she was unwell and on admission at an unnamed hospital.
The court subsequently issued a warrant for the arrest of the accused standing trial with nine other men on charges of conspiracy to commit high treason, high treason and abetment of high treason.
Bail Re-application
Mr. Apanga last Tuesday reapplied for bail for WOII Saan, informing the court that there had been a miscommunication regarding the admission of the accused person at the hospital.
“We apologise for having failed to communicate to the court that she was at the hospital and not necessarily on admission and also apologise for not making a prayer timely enough for the court to reconsider a decision of the bench warrant,” Mr. Apanga stated in his reapplication for bail.
He personally took responsibility for the miscommunication and prayed that the failure on his part should not be visited on his client.
“I pray that considering the fact that A6 (WOII Saan) has been very regular in her attendance to court any time the court requires her presence and has never absented herself without a reasonable cause, the court will consider her health condition and her previous conduct by granting her bail on her previous bail terms in order that she can come from home and attend court while undergoing treatment,” he added.
Winifred Sarpong, a Principal State Attorney, who represented the prosecution on that day did not oppose the reapplication for bail.
Ruling
The three-member panel of the court presided over by Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe and assisted by Justices Hafisata Amaleboba and Stephen Oppong were not particularly impressed by the excuse that the accused person was on admission and held that the said miscommunication was an untruth, and urged the lawyers to be circumspect with issues regarding their clients’ absenteeism at trials.
The court took into consideration the fact that the accused person had always been in court prior to her absence last Tuesday and the fact that the prosecution did not oppose the application and, therefore, rescinded the warrant for her arrest and admitted her to her old bail with its conditions.
The court however, warned that it will not hesitate to deal with any of the accused persons who unjustifiably absent themselves from the trial on scheduled dates.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak