The Osu Magistrate Court on Tuesday granted Mr. Kone Katinan Justin, former Ivorian Minister in charge of Budget and Spokesman of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, bail in the sum of Ghc 50, 000 with two sureties to justify.
Mr. Justin was arrested by national security operatives in Ghana last month (August) based on an arrest warrant issued by Ivorian authorities.
Ivorian officials issued an international arrest warrant for Mr. Katinan for alleged crimes in recent post-election violence in the country and economic crimes.
But his counsel, Patrick Sogbojor, was able to secure a habeas corpus from a Human Rights Court for his release, after he (Katinan) was forced to overstay the constitutionally required 48 hours in Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) cells.
In their previous appearance in court before being granted bail on Tuesday, the State prosecution argued that government is working on the extradition documents which were in French and needed more time to translate into English.
Justin holds a refugee card from the Ghana Refugee Board which is also recognized by the UNHCR. He was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport on his return to Ghana from South Africa.
Katinan had been living as a political refugee in Ghana. He is the second top official in Gbagbo's government to be arrested while living in exile following the extradition of Moise Lida Kouassi, a former defense minister, from Togo in June.
<<Print>>