The Asokore Mampong District Court on Thursday for the second time, refused bail application for a student and an alumnus, standing trial in connection with the disturbances that occurred at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
It was after prosecution prayed the court to remand accused for additional week, to allow police more time to investigate the case, when they appeared before the court.
The pleas of accused, Daniel Osei, an alumnus, and Francis Atuahene, a student of the KNUST, was not taken.
Head of Legal and Prosecution at the Ashanti Regional Police Command, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kofi Bladgozi, said the charge sheet has been amended and charges reviewed from four to 14 counts.
He said the police was chasing 60 other suspects in connection with rioting at the KNUST.
Lawyers for accused argued their clients would not tamper with investigations when they were granted bail.
They also said that the future of accused, a worker, and a student, could be jeopardised since the student was supposed to write his exams and the worker, expected to be at post.
Some relatives left the courtroom in tears, following the court’s decision to remand accused again.
It is recalled that there was violent clash between some members of the University Hall (Katanga) and Unity Hall (Continental), at KNUST, on Thursday, August 18, 2022 resulting in some people, including students suffering injuries and the destruction of vehicles and other properties.
Although management has set up a committee to look into the disturbance, it has also banned temporarily the massing up of students of any kind.
Hall week activities on KNUST campus started on August 10 and was expected to end on August 28,this year.
The students of Katanga, who were celebrating their hall week embarked on a procession toward the main university entrance gate, blocked traffic flow on the Kumasi – Accra highway and created a lot of vehicular traffic.
On their return to campus, they decided to use the Unity Hall arena, and without any provocation, the Katanga students were said to have pelted stones at residents of Unity Hall in an attempt to provoke them to react.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
