The Tema New Town riots...28 GRANTED BAIL (OCT 7, 2010)

TWENTY-EIGHT suspects who were remanded in custody by the Ashaiman Circuit Court in connection with violent outbursts at Tema Newtown early last month have been granted bail in the sum of GH¢20,000 each with two sureties.
They are Nii Adjei Kraku, George Bruce, Charles Kwame Essel, Paa Kwesi, Kwame Ayiah, Isaac Tawiah, Vincent Agya Kally, Robert Oppong, Kwadwo Mensah and Isaac Nana Essuman.
Others are Mark Addo, Ato Kwame, Ashietey Larbi, Emmanuel Ansah, Ekow Mensah, Mensah Brabba, Daniel Mahama Martey, Kwesi Ansah, Kwamena Anso Nyamekye and Theophilus Boakye.
The rest are Isaac Armah, Jonathan Klottey, Tetteh Elvis, Nii Tetteh Kwamena, Adjei Quaye, Adjei Tawiah, John Nketiah and James Koranteng.
They all pleaded not guilty to three counts of rioting, assault on public officers and causing damage to property running into millions of Ghana cedis.
Three juveniles, James Koranteng, Isaac Amarh and Kofi Annan, who were granted bail in the sum of GH¢10,000 with two sureties each to be justified at the first hearing were, however, absent from court, prompting the prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police Ms Enyonam Klu, to pray the court for a bench warrant for their arrest.
Rischter Nii Armah Amarfio, the 2008 CPP parliamentary candidate for Tema East, who was alleged to have spearheaded the attack, had, however, been granted bail by the Accra High Court, presided over by Mr Justice Charles Quist.
That followed an application for bail filed by his counsel, Mr Tuinese Amuzu, for his release after the Ashaiman Circuit Court had refused an earlier application for bail.
The suspects are to re-appear on October 27, 2010.
Presenting the facts of the case, Ms Klu told the court that the suspects were among some irate youth who went on rampage on September 17, 2010 at the Tema Fishing Harbour and attacked officials of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) who were on duty at the Toa yard which had been leased out to a private developer for the construction of a palm oil refinery.
She said the group, wielding guns, machetes and other dangerous implements, set ablaze three offices belonging to the GPHA, a bulldozer estimated at $285,000 and a Nissan pick-up valued at $14,000.
The accused persons, she said, also ransacked the offices of the Tema Traditional Council, where they vandalised the palace, smashed glass doors and burnt two pick-ups and a Toyota 4Runner belonging to the council.
She said not satisfied, the group also raided the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) sub-metro office located in the community and made away with an undisclosed amount of money after destroying computer accessories and other office furnishings.
Ms Klu said the group later raided the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) prepaid vending station also in the community and destroyed office equipment.
A team of defence counsel, led by Mr Adomako Acheampong, moved an application for bail for the accused persons.
According to Mr Acheampong, the reference of the accused persons by the prosecution as a mob where names of individuals were not mentioned as orchestrators of the September 17th violent attacks clearly demonstrated the innocence of the accused.