By William Yaw Owusu
Saturday, 19 May 2007
Benjamin Akyena Brentuo, President of the Junior Common Room, University of Ghana, who is charged with threatening to kill the university’s Vice-Chancellor and others, was yesterday granted c300 million bail with two sureties by an Accra circuit court.
Additionally, the court, presided over by Justice Frank Manu, who is also the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal chairman, ordered Brentuo to report to the police every Monday until the court’s next sitting on May 31.
Assistant Superintendent of Police George Abavelim, prosecuting, requested to substitute the charge sheet to prefer fresh charges against Brentuo.
Following the substitution, Brentuo was charged with five counts of threat of death, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Moving the application for bail, Solomon Korli, counsel for Brentuo, said the police "fraudulently" obtained the bench warrant used to arrest and detain the accused person.
"The matter was not before the court and a bench warrant could not have been issued. This is a second degree felony and the accused person should not have been remanded on his first appearance," he argued.
The prosecution did not oppose the application for bail but Mr. Abavelim urged the court to give substantial bail conditions.
On Brentuo’s first appearance on May 11, the court remanded him because the prosecution had submitted that they were still investigating the matter.
As usual, busloads of university students thronged the court premises to show solidarity for their colleague and the anti-riot police had it tough controlling them.
The prosecution said that on April 26, there was a publication in the Ghanaian Times, under the headline; "Group issues death threat, Legon Lecturers live in danger".
Police commenced an investigation into the case of the threat of death tagged: "Operation BHABOTOLD" from the Militant African Youth Against Neo Colonialism (MAYAN) with headquarters in Accra.
The threat was against the proposed ‘In-Out-Out-Out’ residential policy to be implemented by the university from the next semester.
The prosecution said intelligence gathered revealed that occupants of Room F7 produced the threat message.
On April 27, the police, armed with a search warrant, proceeded to Commonwealth Hall, Legon, and in the presence of the hall authorities, searched room number F7.
They retrieved one compaq systems unit, and IBM monitor, one Compaq keyboard and its accessories, a pen drive, 22 compact disc and assorted documents.
The hall authorities told the police that the room was illegally occupied by the accused
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