An Accra Fast-Track High Court has granted bail to former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Tsatsu Tsikata. Justice Edward Amoako Asante, granted Mr. Tsikata one million Ghana Cedis self-recognisance bail. Mr Tsikata was pardoned last week by former President J.A. Kufuor and released from jail after serving six months of a five-year jail term imposed on him for causing financial loss to the state. Despite the pardon, he has vowed to use the courts to prove he should not have been jailed in the first place. Mr Tony Lithur, a close friend of Mr. Tsikata told Joy News’ Sammy Darko the ruling “means the case is still very much alive in terms of the appellate processes available to him.” He reiterated Mr. Tsikata’s statement that he does not need the pardon granted him by former President Kufuor. Mr. Lithur stressed that the former GNPC boss will pursue vigorously the processes that he initiated before the pardon was granted. Tsikata had appealed against the sentence imposed on him by Justice Henrietta Abban, arguing there was no wrong doing on his part. An application for bail was denied by Justice Abban on grounds that it was misplaced. Mr Lithur after Tuesday’s ruling said the competence of Justice Abban to sit on the bail application was being challenged and yet she went ahead to rule on it. “It is encouraging to find that at least somebody disagrees with Justice Henrietta Abban within the judiciary and we will take it from here,” he noted. Story by Malik Abass Daabu