The human rights court Wednesday denied bail for Justin Kone Katinan, former spokesperson for ousted Cote d'Ivoire leader Laurent Gbagbo who is currently in detention in Ghana.

Lawyers for the ex-cabinet minister made an oral application for bail Wednesday, but the court declined the request.

The court argued Katinan's detention by the Ghanaian authorities was lawful and advised his lawyers to make a formal application for bail, pending an extradition process yet to be started by the state.

Katinan was arrested on August 24 by Ghanaian police at the Kotoka International Airport while returning from South Africa.

Following Katinan's arrest, his lawyers secured a habeas corpus order on August 27, demanding the Ghanaian authorities produce him in court to justify his arrest.

The lawyers had expected their client to be set free last Friday after securing the court order, but the case was adjourned to September 5.

Katinan was the budget minister during the three months of crisis and conflict that followed Gbagbo's refusal to cede power to his rival Alassane Ouattara, widely held to have won the West African country's presidential election in December 2010.

The ex- minister is accused of being behind a series of bank robberies to keep Gbagbo's camp in funds.