GH¢50m bail for Miracles Aboagye not punishment, justified by amount under probe — Apanga

The Acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Gaming Commission of Ghana, Lamtiig A. Apanga, has defended the GH¢50 million bail granted to Dennis Miracles Aboagye.

Miracles Aboagye, an Aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, was arrested at the Accra International Airport on Saturday, July 11, upon his return from a trip abroad.

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has said Miracles Aboagye and former IMCCoD accountant Gerald Appiah are being investigated over suspected offences including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering and other alleged financial crimes involving about GH¢55 million.

Although he was granted bail of GH¢50 million with three sureties, two of whom must be justified, on Monday, July 13, he remains in custody after failing to meet the conditions.

The bail terms have attracted criticism from sections of the public and the opposition, who argue that they are excessive and intended to intimidate political opponents.

Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV's Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, July 14, Apanga rejected those claims, arguing that the bail amount was proportionate to the value of the alleged offence under investigation.

"The subject matter here is 55 million Ghana cedis, and as a matter of fact, what we are doing here is that the bail condition is 50 million, which is even less than the amount that is being investigated," he said.

The legal practitioner explained that bail conditions are determined by several factors, including the nature of the alleged offence and the amount involved.

According to him, in some cases, bail amounts may even exceed the value under investigation to ensure that suspects honour the terms of their release.

"Let's be mindful when we are at the very early preliminary stages of investigation. It's always good that we allow cool heads to prevail. Let investigating bodies do their work, and then when they are done, we should be concerned where there are abuses," Apanga stated.