Dominic Kwame Obeng-Andoh, the director of a private medical centre in Accra – Obengfo Hospital, who has been arraigned before an Accra Magistrate Court for alleged murder was yesterday granted bail by an Accra High Court.

The embattled medical practitioner is before an Accra Magistrate Court for allegedly murdering Stacy Offei Darko, Deputy CEO of National Entrepreneurship Innovative Plan (NEIP) in May this year.

The deceased is said to have gone to the medical facility in the aforementioned month, for liposuction and fat transfer surgery.

The suspect was earlier denied bail after the same court presided over by Justice Kofi Dorgu ruled that the proper charge against the suspect would have been medical negligence which is not necessarily a crime but the circumstances surrounding the handling of the dead body appear to suggest a foul play.

But 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.

Mr. 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 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.

Opposition

The state represented by Ashong Okai, vehemently opposed the bail application saying the police are still investigating the matter and the doctor when granted bail will interfere with police investigations and witnesses.

He said the defence lawyer was before the court with a repeat application and he insisted that it was too early for the court to grant the suspect bail.



He said Dr. Obeng-Andoh does not have the qualification to perform cosmetic surgery yet he has been doing it for years.

He argued that when the suspect is granted bail he will go back to perform the complex liposuction surgeries.

He added that the police want to unravel the mystery behind the death and therefore prayed the court to refuse the grant of bail.

He, however, urged the court to make the bail terms very stringent should the court find reason to grant the accused person bail.

Ruling

The presiding judge, Justice Kofi Dorgu, in his ruling on the application held that as he mentioned in his previous ruling, both lawyers for the doctor and the state prosecutor, admitted that the deceased went to the hospital voluntarily and died during surgery.

He said in such circumstances, the proper charge would have been medical negligence which is not necessarily a crime but the circumstances surrounding the handling of the dead body appeared to suggest a foul play.



He said it is clear the police have gone to the hospital and as at now they have in their possession all documents they need and he does not see how the accused person will interfere with investigation when granted bail.

Justice Dorgu therefore, granted the accused person bail in the sum of GH?100,000 with two sureties, one of whom must be justified.

Per the bail terms, the sureties are to deposit passport size pictures of themselves at the court’s registry for easy identification.

Dr. Obeng-Andoh is also to deposit his passport and travel documents at the court’s registry, and he must notify the court if he intends to travel out of the jurisdiction.

Burial

Meanwhile, the mortal remains of Stacy Offei Darko will be laid to rest today at the Osu cemetery in Accra.

According to the funeral arrangement, a burial service would be held at the forecourt of the State House today before internment.

A thanksgiving service is also scheduled at the Tema Community 4 Christ Apostolic Church chapel followed by final funeral rites at her family house.