An 18-year-old hairdresser, and seven others, including Sarah Agyei, have been remanded into prison custody by the High Court in Accra.
The charges stem from their alleged involvement in stealing substantial sums of money, including 300,000 euros, and other valuable properties, from the residence of former sanitation minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah.
Despite being granted bail with stringent conditions, the accused persons failed to meet the requirements, leading to their transfer from police custody to prison custody.
The decision was made by the Court after State Prosecutors, led by Senior State Attorney Akosua Agyepomaa Agyemang, sought the change in custody.
While defence lawyers, headed by Nana Addo Asirifi, opposed the move to allow the accused to fulfil their bail conditions, the Court maintained that once their bail bonds are certified, they can be released.
Notably, the Court made an exception for Sarah Agyei, who is reportedly breastfeeding a nine-month-old baby, allowing her to remain in police cells.
The court proceedings, which were expected to include a Case Management Conference on March 8, faced a setback as some defence lawyers claimed they had not been served with the latest processes filed by the Prosecution on February 2.
The accused, including Patience Botwe and Sarah Agyei, aged 18 and 30 respectively, along with Benjamin Sowah, Malik Dauda, Christiana Achab, Job Pomary, and Yahaya Sumaila, have pleaded not guilty to 31 counts, ranging from conspiracy to steal, stealing, dishonestly receiving, and money laundering.
The case took a turn on November 8 when a new charge sheet was filed at the High Court, increasing the counts to 31, including charges of conspiracy, stealing, dishonestly receiving, and money laundering.
The accused persons have been facing legal proceedings since July 6, 2023, and the court has set the next hearing for March 15.
State Prosecutors have also filed an application to restrict the accused from disposing of properties in their custody.