Court of Appeal Grants Ato Forson Bail Pending Appeal

Former Managing Director of the now-defunct Capital Bank, William Ato Essien, has been granted bail by the Court of Appeal.

In a decision handed down on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, the court granted bail to the incarcerated businessman in the sum of GH₵10 million, with two sureties.

William Ato Essien was jailed for fifteen years by the High Court in relation to his role in the collapse of Capital Bank.

He was accused of complicity in the misappropriation of over GH¢90 million in relief funds that was granted to the bank by the government of Ghana.

A repayment agreement was established to enable him to pay back the amount, but he defaulted, leading to his imprisonment in October 2023.

In recent months, a campaign has been launched to secure him a Presidential pardon, citing his health.

The businessman has reportedly faced health challenges in prison, leading to calls for his release.

According to reports, he is now wheelchair-bound, having suffered a spinal injury in jail.

The Capital Bank Managing Director reached a deal with the state to pay back the amount he allegedly misappropriated.

He paid back ¢30 million upfront in December 2022 and was required to pay ¢20 million as the first instalment of the ¢60 million outstanding amount by April 28, 2023.

However, he could only settle ¢5 million out of the amount, and he was given a deadline to pay the remainder.

He failed to meet the deadline, and the state requested the court to sentence him for violating the terms of the agreement.

Justice Eric Kyei Baffour subsequently sentenced the accused to 15 years in prison.

Analysis of Ato Essien’s bail

The calls for Ato Essien to be granted clemency can be looked at in two ways.

Considering the severity of his crimes, the calls for him to be released are misplaced.

However, if he is having health issues, he should receive the requisite medical care.

There should be a mechanism for prisoners who are sick to receive medical care; it seems elitist to call for someone to be released from jail before they can be treated.

Otherwise, all sick prisoners should be released before they can be treated when they fall sick, which we don’t believe is the state of affairs for Ghana’s prisoners.