<<Print>>

Four soldiers, who were held in detention for 16 days after they were arrested by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) in collaboration with the Military Intelligence, were yesterday quickly remanded by a court in Accra on the blind side of their lawyers. The soldiers, Sgts Michael Arthur, Richard Somuah, Cpls Charles Ankuma and Emmanuel Antwi, were surreptitiously rushed to the 28th February Road Court popularly known as the Cocoa Affairs Court, and detained. The soldiers were arrested ostensibly for their alleged role in the murder of Rocco Frimpong, the former deputy director of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB). Their remand comes in the wake of a writ for habeas corpus filed by counsel for the soldiers, Joe Debrah, at an Accra High Court on behalf of wives of the soldiers, challenging the basis of their unlawful detention. A few days ago, the New Crusading Guide newspaper published a story that the said soldiers were believed to have been arrested in connection with subversion and not murder as alleged. Already, some persons have been arrested and are standing trial in connection with the murder of Mr. Frimpong and this only makes the story murder. Their arraignment and remand is probably meant to pre-empt the habeas corpus application for today. Their lawyer, Mr. Debrah, in an interview on Peace FM, said he decided to take the case because it had to do with human rights, constitutionality and due process.