A Takoradi District Court, presided over by Mr. Bernard Biney, has remanded a Chinese national, Dai Mengsheng, into police custody over an alleged murder charge.
The accused has been charged by the police for the offence of preparation to commit murder, to wit, murder, contrary to Section 19 and 46 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29).
The charge was based on legal advice from the Attorney General’s (AG) office in Sekondi, and the complainant in the case is David Anthony Nicol-Sey, a successful businessman based in Takoradi.
Arrest and Court Proceedings
Dai Mengsheng was arrested on February 14, 2025, in Tarkwa and later transferred to the Regional Police Command in Sekondi, where he has been in custody since his arrest.
Appearing before the court in handcuffs, his plea was not taken, and the facts of the case were not read in open court.
Lawyer for the accused, Benjamin D. Andoh, prayed the court to grant his client bail, arguing that the accused had been in police custody for two weeks.
He further stated that since the AG had issued its legal advice, it was evident that police investigations had been concluded, and the case was ready for prosecution.
Counsel emphasized that his client was entitled to bail and would cooperate with the police.
He described the accused as a man of substance with a permanent residence in Tarkwa.
He argued that when a charge does not explicitly implicate the accused in a crime, bail should be granted.
Court’s Decision
While the Magistrate agreed with the submission of the defense counsel, he stated that his court lacked jurisdiction to preside over a murder case.
As a result, he was unable to grant bail.
The accused was remanded into police custody, and the case was adjourned to March 4, 2025, for further proceedings.
Story by Nana Fynn@W/R.