Battor Chieftaincy rioters denied bail

A bail attempt by counsels for the 15 accused persons arrested in connection with the deadly chieftaincy riots at Battor in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region has failed.

Six persons died in a shootout at the palace of the Paramount chief in December 2022, and the counsel – Benjamin Zigorsh-Nyukpena, and Theophilus Donkor, were seeking bail for the accused at the Ho Circuit Court during the second appearance on Wednesday.

The duo spent several minutes fighting off an application by the State Attorney for the case to be heard in Accra.

The bail application was made after Mr Felix Datsomor, the Circuit Court Judge, struck out the request to move the hearing to Accra, saying it lacked the necessary standards.

The counsel pleaded the bail on cooperation of the accused persons throughout the case.

The Circuit Court Judge, considering the plea, said the second-degree felony case overrode considerations under the accused person’s constitutional rights, and that Police custody was safest in view of the circumstances.

The case was adjourned to February 8, 2023, for a case management conference.

Relations of the accused persons thronged the corridor of the circuit court amid heavy security.

Source: GNA