A Circuit Court Judge has issued a strong warning to the public against paying money for bail when it is granted by the courts, stressing that bail is entirely free and no one should be made to pay for it.
Mrs. Sarah Nyarkoa Nkansa, presiding over the Adentan Circuit Court, cautioned that individuals who demand money in connection with bail processes must be reported to the authorities immediately.
“You don’t need to pay a dime when granted bail by the court. It is only when an accused person jumps bail that the sureties will be required to pay the bail sum involved,” she emphasised.
The judge made these remarks during the hearing of a case involving a 45-year-old businessman, Paul Konney, who has been charged with defrauding by false pretences.
Konney is accused of defrauding one Eric Kristic to the tune of GHC80,000 under the guise of a joint venture to sell assorted soft drinks and share the profits. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The court granted him bail in the sum of GHC100,000 with two sureties, and ordered him to report to the case investigator every Wednesday.
Chief Inspector Maxwell Lanyo, who led the prosecution, told the court that the accused and the complainant are both businessmen. In January 2025, Konney allegedly approached Kristic with a business proposal to jointly sell soft drinks, assuring him of a profitable partnership.
Following an inspection of Konney’s warehouse and a satisfactory review of the products, Kristic agreed to invest in the venture. He initially gave Konney GHC25,000 to kickstart the business, after which they bought some stock for retail.
Shortly after, Konney requested the remaining GHC55,000, which Kristic provided. However, after receiving the full GHC80,000, the accused reportedly went silent, refusing to answer calls or meet with the complainant.
“When the complainant later visited the accused’s office to check on the progress of the business, he was shocked to discover that the drinks had been sold, but not a pesewa had been returned to him,” the prosecution told the court.
Following a police report filed by Kristic, Konney was arrested while allegedly attempting to obtain an additional GHC200,000 from the same complainant.
During police interrogation, Konney admitted in his caution statement that he used part of the money to purchase three pieces of furniture and three office computers but was unable to account for the rest of the funds.
