An Accra High Court has granted a bail application by Dr Dominic Kwame Obeng-Andoh, Chief Executive Officer of Obengfo Hospital, who is being held for murder.
His lawyer, Jonathan Dzansi went back to the court with a repeat application, urging the court to grant the accused person bail.
In moving the application, he told the court that Dr. Obeng-Andoh had done everything possible to reach the phone number the deceased provided for contact in times of emergency but there was no response.
He told the court that it was 12 hours after the death that the doctor had ordered for the body to be taken to the mortuary to prevent it from going bad.
Dzansi told the court that the accused person never told the morgue attendants to embalm the body, but rather added a note to the body asking the hospital officials to preserve it for an autopsy.
He disclosed that the autopsy report on the deceased has been released and it indicated that she died after massive fat transfer.
He also told the court that his client is law-abiding and will readily make himself available for the trial.
But Ashong Okai, a Senior Attorney, last week vehemently opposed the bail application on the basis that investigations into the various roles played by the accused had not been completed.
He said if Dr Obengfo and his cleaner were granted bail they would interfere with the witnesses and evidence because the incident took place at Dr Obengfo’s health facility.
The State Attorney told the court that Dr Obengfo may commit further offenses because the facility was in existence whether locked or opened.
He further informed the court that autopsy on the deceased Stacy Offei-Darko was not out yet and invited the court to take a look at the circumstance of the matter.
Okai explained that before surgeries were conducted at health facilities, relations of the sick person have portions on a form where names and phone numbers were provided.
He, however, said that though the court has the power to grant bail it should exercise its discretion judiciously.
The court presided over by Justice Kofi Dorgu had heard defence counsel and a lawyer from the Attorney General’s office on the bail pending trial application filed on behalf of Dr Obengfo and his cleaner, Edward Amponsh who is also being held for impersonation.
According to Justice Kofi Dorgu, in such circumstances, the proper charge would have been medical negligence which is not necessarily a crime.
Justice Dorgu, therefore, granted the accused person bail in the sum of GH₵100,000 with two sureties, one of whom must be justified.