NATIONAL SECURITY REFUSING TO RELEASE ‘THE NEW FORCE’ SPOKESPERSON, SHALIMAR ABBIUSI DESPITE BAIL – Lawyer, Xavier Sosu

“The court has taken note of the fact that immigration has already had her passport. So, she is not a flight risk. So, what would be the reasons why you would continue to want to detain the person?

“For me, that would be an abuse of power and it would undermine the respect for human rights. It would undermine the respect for the dignity of a person. And it would undermine the very constitution that we all subscribe to,” he said.

Sosu added, “Because when you arrest a person within 24 hours you should deal with the person. 48 hours is the maximum the person must be released. But you keep the person for seven days for a misdemeanour and the court admits the person to bill and you still want to keep the person”.

The Madina legislator also said that if national security wants to keep his client in custody then they would have to re-arrest her.

“That (the National Security taking her away) would amount to contempt of court. In fact, that would be unlawful. It would be an upfront to the decision of the court today. Unless someone is saying she is being rearrested in which case you have to let us know the reason for the arrest.

“… when a person has not committed any offence and you bring the person to the court on specific facts and the court reviews the facts and admits the person to bail, we expected that you would respect the decision of the court. Otherwise, that would not be the rule of law, that would rule of the gaggle,” he explained.

He added that all sureties who would sign the bail conditions of his client to be released are ready.