Abodakpi’s welcome party goes cold

A grand reception planned by some youth and close associates of the incarcerated Member of Parliament for Keta, Dan Abodapki, in anticipation of his release on bail turned cold on Thursday.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Accra unanimously rejected his appeal for bail. All three justices hearing his bail application pending his appeal against the 10-year sentence imposed on him for wilfully causing financial loss of $400,000 to the state declined to grant his request.

It is his second bail application to be rejected.

Justice B.E.T Aryeetey, presiding, said Abodapki's appeal processes were ready for the case to be heard and saw no reason why he should be granted bail. He explained that he would have granted the application if the process was not ready and would therefore cause some delays in which case it would be unjust to keep him.

For Justice Marfo Siaw, Abodakpi's lawyer's have made strong aversions that are worth serious consideration; including a claim that the trial judge did not consider his defence. He said given that he did not have the entire proceedings of the trial that sentenced the MP to 10 years, he was not in a position to ascertain the truthfulness of the lawyers' claim and was therefore handicapped. In the circumstance, he could only assume that the judge was right in his decision and so could not grant the bail application.

Justice Mariam Owusu, also sided with the decisions of her colleagues.

No new date was announced in court for hearing of the substantive appeal.