KNUST Lecturer arrested over his wife’s ‘disappearance’ denied bail

The Kumasi High Court has denied a bail application by lawyers of a Senior Lecturer at KNUST, Dr. Wilberforce Aggrey, who is standing trial for his alleged involvement in the disappearance of his wife, Rhodaline Amoah-Darko.

According to the police, the husband of Rhodaline Amoah-Darko on 2nd September 2021, reported to them that she has been kidnapped.

Although Dr. Wilberforce Aggrey has admitted to the police that he personally sent messages from his wife’s phone to his phone and to her family members about the supposed kidnapping, his wife is still yet to be found.

During the court proceedings, the lawyers for Dr. Wilberforce Aggrey argued that every offense is bailable, and as such, it would be against his fundamental human rights for him to be held in police custody for long.

The Principal State Attorney and the State Attorney however argued that new facts have emerged and as a result, the accused will interfere with investigations should he be granted bail.

The presiding Judge, Priscilla Dikro, agreed with the state Attorneys and denied him bail.

Background

The accused, Dr. Wilberforce Aggrey, on 2nd September 2021 reported to the police that his wife, Rhodaline Amoah-Darko had been kidnapped from their home around KNUST, as he had received some text messages.

Police then began investigations into it. Investigations however revealed that the messages that were sent from Rhodaline’s phone to some family members and friends, including her husband, were sent from the KNUST campus closer to the house of the accused person (the husband).

As a result of this, Dr. Wilberforce Aggrey was arrested on 6th October 2021 to assist with investigations.

The police say in his caution statement, he admitted to sending those messages through his wife’s phone.

The accused person, however, says he does not know the whereabouts of the victim’s phone.

He has also not been able to disclose the location of his wife to the police. The police have thus charged him provisionally with kidnapping.