The alleged mastermind in the theft case involving Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the former Sanitation and Water Resource Minister, has been denied bail by an Accra Circuit Court.

The court's decision was based on the fact that Patience Botwe, an 18-year-old former house help of the former Minister, had previously skipped bail at Juvenile Court "C" in Accra after it had been granted to her.

“This court is not inclined to grant bail to first accused person (Patience Botwe) because proceeding of the Juvenile Court C showed that she flouted the court bail and a bench warrant was issued for her arrest.

"Even when the case was struck out in March this year, the accused person was not arrested despite the bench warrant. Bail application for first accused person is refused,” the court presided over by Mrs Afia Owusua Appiah held.

The court's decision came after the lawyer representing the accused individual, Nana Addo Asrifi, requested bail for Patience, citing a previous grant of bail at the Juvenile Court. In response, the Circuit Court instructed its Registrar to obtain records from the Juvenile Court to verify the claims regarding the bail granted to the client.

Furthermore, the court has directed the Prosecution to expedite their investigations so that the pleas of the accused individuals can be heard on the next scheduled date. The court has also tasked the Police with investigating the properties of the sureties presented by the accused individuals to facilitate their release on bail.

Led by Assistant State Attorney (ASA) Akosua Agyepomaa, the Prosecution informed the court that they had received extensive documentation from the Police, which they needed to review before taking further action.

The ASA explained that the Police had been instructed to investigate specific aspects of the case, and they had complied by producing the voluminous documents. Additionally, the Attorney General was actively involved in the case docket.

Several lawyers expressed dissatisfaction with the repeated requests for adjournments by the prosecution, citing concerns about the impact on the freedom of the accused individuals. Mr. J. K. Ntoni, representing two of the accused persons, questioned why the prosecution consistently sought adjournments to the detriment of the accused individuals.

Earlier, defense counsel members voiced their clients' frustrations regarding the challenges they faced in fulfilling the requirements for their bail.

Mr Raymond Felli, who was led by Mr Yaw Dankwah, said they had been frequenting the Police station in their bid to execute the bail, adding, “they have been asking us to go and come back.”

The court's decision came after the lawyer representing the accused individual, Nana Addo Asrifi, requested bail for Patience, citing a previous grant of bail at the Juvenile Court. In response, the Circuit Court instructed its Registrar to obtain records from the Juvenile Court to verify the claims regarding the bail granted to the client.

Furthermore, the court has directed the Prosecution to expedite their investigations so that the pleas of the accused individuals can be heard on the next scheduled date. The court has also tasked the Police with investigating the properties of the sureties presented by the accused individuals to facilitate their release on bail.

Led by Assistant State Attorney (ASA) Akosua Agyepomaa, the Prosecution informed the court that they had received extensive documentation from the Police, which they needed to review before taking further action. The ASA explained that the Police had been instructed to investigate specific aspects of the case, and they had complied by producing the voluminous documents. Additionally, the Attorney General was actively involved in the case docket.

Several lawyers expressed dissatisfaction with the repeated requests for adjournments by the prosecution, citing concerns about the impact on the freedom of the accused individuals. Mr. J. K. Ntoni, representing two of the accused persons, questioned why the prosecution consistently sought adjournments to the detriment of the accused individuals.

Earlier, defense counsel members voiced their clients' frustrations regarding the challenges they faced in fulfilling the requirements for their bail.