Businessman accused in Ahmed Suale’s murder denied bail by High Court

Mr. Koranteng, also known as Nana Amakye, had previously been refused bail twice by the Madina District Court following his initial court appearance on March 19, 2025.

Is allowance instantly strangers applauded

A third attempt by Daniel Koranteng Owusu, the businessman accused in the high-profile murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale, to secure bail has been denied by the High Court in Accra.

Mr. Koranteng, also known as Nana Amakye, had previously been refused bail twice by the Madina District Court following his initial court appearance on March 19, 2025. His latest plea, submitted to the High Court, was similarly turned down on Monday, April 14, by Justice Kizita Naa Koowa Quarshie.

The court maintained that while the accused may seek bail at a later stage, he should for now remain in prison custody pending further developments in the investigation.

Charges and Background

The 35-year-old stands provisionally charged with abetment and murder. His plea has not yet been taken as investigations continue. Notably, the prosecution updated the charge sheet on his second court appearance on April 2, adding the charge of abetment.

Mr. Koranteng is alleged to have provided photographs of Suale to former legislator Kennedy Agyapong prior to the journalist’s murder in 2019—an accusation he has denied. Prosecutors claim that Suale himself had identified Koranteng as the individual who supplied the images which later appeared on Net2 TV. On the program, Mr. Agyapong had made inflammatory statements calling for action against the journalist.

Defense Counsel’s Arguments

Nathaniel Egbor, counsel for the accused, argued that the facts presented by the prosecution do not align with the charges laid against his client. He maintained that the accused has not acted in any way to obstruct justice and should not be punished by being denied bail.

The defense emphasized the constitutional presumption of innocence, asserting that detaining Koranteng violates his fundamental rights to liberty and movement. Additionally, counsel argued that the prosecution had failed to demonstrate key elements of the charge of murder, such as intent and unlawful harm.

On the issue of the published images, Egbor contended that Suale’s identity had already been made public, as the journalist had previously posted about Martin Amidu on Facebook under his full name.

Disputing the Flight Risk Narrative

Addressing claims that his client fled justice, the defense rejected suggestions that the accused was arrested only upon returning to Ghana in August 2024. Egbor pointed out that the timeline does not support this assertion, noting that while Suale was murdered in January 2019, Koranteng left Ghana in September of that year and has since moved in and out of the country like any regular citizen.

Prosecution’s Counterarguments

Assistant State Attorney Maame Afua Osei Gyamerah opposed the bail request, referencing Article 14(1)(g) of the 1992 Constitution to support the position that bail may be denied where there's reasonable suspicion of involvement in a serious offense.

She emphasized that the request for continued remand is not punitive but necessary to ensure the accused stands trial. According to her, telecom records link Koranteng to Suale’s residential area on four separate occasions before the killing.