Moro granted contentious bail

One of the suspected drug dealers, Alhaji Mohammed Moro, a noted power broker at the Manhyia palace of the Asantehene who was arrested in connection with the infamous 'cocaine convention' that was held in the house of the popular ACP Kofi Boakye, has been granted bail under what is perceived to be very controversial circumstances.

Sources say the bail was granted last Saturday night, following the Alhaji's controversial collapse last Friday, and thus giving a health twist to the granting of the bail.

Credible information gathered by this paper indicates that medical personnel at the Police Hospital in Accra, where the 'collapsed' suspect was rushed for medical attention, expressed strong reservations in writing a medical report on Alhaji Moro.

Moro's bail, which is yet to be made known to the public, is something that may deepen the perception that his reported collapse last Friday, which scared medical personnel at the Police Hospital, was feigned to frustrate any possible action by the Justice Ministry to arraign him before a court of law.

The first to receive a call from The Chronicle for clarification on the issue was Mr. Clement Dompreh, Greater Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO). He refused to speak on the issues raised in connection with Moro's bail, saying it was no longer in the domain of the police and that it was between the Attorney General's Department and the courts.

He continued that he did not even know where the other arrested suspects had been put on remand.

When his superior at the Headquarters of the Police Service, Superintendent David Eklu, was also contacted, he could not provide any information either on why, how or when the suspect was granted bail.

But the Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Kwame Osei Prempeh, confirmed that the suspect had indeed been granted bail when The Chronicle reached him. He described the bail as a police enquiry bail.

This description forced reporters to go back to the Regional Police offices for more inquisitions on the granting of the contentious bail.

The Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Douglas Akrofi Asiedu, also preferred to be economical with his comments on the issue.

He confirmed the granting of bail to Moro relying on rules that empower the police to grant bail to suspects as justification.

“He has been granted police bail; the police can grant a bail to a suspect. At the same time, the police can remand a suspect - it is the law,” he elaborated. “Even in the case of assault (considered as a small case), a suspect can be remanded, while a suspect in a murder case could be given bail when there is little evidence.”

The Regional Commander said no evidence had yet been found against the suspect, adding that the police was continuing with its investigations into the matter.

He also said as a condition attached to the bail, Moro was expected to report on a daily basis to the police in Kumasi.