The High Court in Accra has granted bail to Bright Mensah Bonsu, who is accused of receiving $1.5 million under the pretext of selling Ghana’s diplomatic property in Nigeria.
Presiding judge Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh granted Bonsu bail set at GH¢2 million, with two sureties who must be public servants earning at least GH¢6,000 gross monthly salary. The Lands Commission has been tasked to evaluate any property or documents presented for the bail conditions.
Additionally, Bonsu must report to the case investigator every two weeks until the final determination of the case.
Bonsu, described as a businessman and an IT consultant in the oil and gas industry, faces multiple charges including stealing, defrauding by false pretenses, uttering forged documents, and unauthorized grant of land.
He was arrested earlier this month after Ghanaian security operatives acted on information from Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, who announced Bonsu’s apprehension on April 15.
Background to the Case
According to court documents, Bonsu is accused of conspiring to sell Ghana’s High Commission Residence located at No. 12 Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, Lagos, to a Nigerian businessman, Jibril A. Tinubu, for $10 million.
Prosecutors alleged that Bonsu received $1.5 million as initial payment and provided Tinubu with a falsified title deed, despite having no authority to engage in any transaction regarding the property.
However, Bonsu’s lawyer, Andrew Kudzo Vortia, argued that his client never attempted to sell the property. According to the defence, the $1.5 million was part of an arrangement personally made between Tinubu and the late Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Ghana’s former High Commissioner to Nigeria.
Vortia explained that the transaction stalled due to fluctuating exchange rates, and following the death of Ambassador Bawa in March 2024, the deal was left unresolved. The defence insisted that Bonsu, merely an aide to the late High Commissioner, had no authority over the transaction and did not benefit personally from the money.
The defence team further argued that Bonsu had already surrendered his Ghanaian and diplomatic passports to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and had a permanent residence in Accra, indicating no risk of flight.
Prosecution’s Arguments
The prosecution opposed the bail application, arguing that Bonsu poses a flight risk. They claimed that he had evaded security operatives since November 2024 and resurfaced only recently.
They also pointed out that Bonsu frequently travels to Nigeria, other African countries, and the Middle East, and is not permanently resident in Ghana.
Investigators alleged that Bonsu’s actions amount to stealing, defrauding by false pretenses, and uttering forged documents. They also revealed ongoing investigations into possible charges of corruption of a public officer and money laundering.
The prosecution maintained that granting bail could compromise ongoing investigations, which involve cooperation with Nigerian authorities under the Mutual Legal Assistance Act, 2010 (Act 804).
