The Accra High Court has denied bail to Daniel Koranteng Owusu, a 35-year-old businessman charged in connection with the 2019 murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein Suale.
Presided over by Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie, the court ruled that it was not in a position to grant bail at this stage. However, the judge noted that the application could be reconsidered later.
Bail Request and Defence Argument
Owusu’s lawyer, Nathaniel Egbor, argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution did not support the charges of murder and abetment currently before the Madina District Court. He emphasized that bail should not be withheld as a form of punishment and insisted that his client posed no risk to the ongoing investigation.
Citing constitutional rights, Egbor contended that denying bail would infringe upon his client’s right to be presumed innocent and to liberty and movement. He also challenged claims that Owusu fled justice, noting that his client left Ghana months after the alleged crime and had returned to the country voluntarily.
“There is no evidence he was evading arrest,” counsel added. “His travel in and out of the country was in line with his rights as an ordinary citizen.”
Prosecution’s Response
In opposition, Assistant State Attorney Maame Afua Osei Gyamerah argued that the denial of bail was necessary to ensure Owusu stood trial. She maintained that there was reasonable suspicion of his involvement, backed by call records placing his phone in the deceased’s neighborhood in the days leading up to Suale’s death.
Describing the bail application as premature, she urged the court to reject it until investigations are complete.
Case Background
Owusu first appeared in court on March 19, 2025, charged with murder. The charges were later amended to include abetment of crime under Section 2(1) of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Prosecutors allege that Owusu aided two other suspects—currently on the run—in tracking down and killing Suale at his home on January 16, 2019. He is also accused of sending photos of the journalist to MP Kennedy Agyapong, who displayed them on Net2 TV and called for “retribution.”
Prosecution documents claim that Owusu, knowing Suale’s whereabouts, led the attackers to his residence where the journalist was shot and killed.
