No Show At ‘Killers’ Trial

The Adjabeng District Court in Accra yesterday could not continue hearing the case involving 25 persons standing trial over the murder of Nii Tettey Saban at Ardeyman, near Adjen Kotoku in Accra.

This was because the substantive magistrate, Isaac Addo expected to hear the matter was on leave when the case was due for hearing.

The case has however been adjourned until November 27, 2017 by which time the trial magistrate is back from leave.

Meanwhile, State prosecutors in the trial say the court is awaiting the advice on the duplicate docket forwarded to the Attorney-General’s (A-G’s) office.

The prosecutor, Inspector Gregory Yeboah is optimistic the advice would soon be ready for the committal proceedings to commence.

But Dan Aferi-Yeboah, lawyer for the accused persons at the initial stages of the trial had argued that the framers of the laws of the country have to take a second look at the laws.

He said people innocent of an offense were remanded without any reason.

Aferi-Yeboah stated that such people suffer irreparable damage and yet not compensated (when they are found to be innocent of the charges preferred against them by the prosecution).

The quiz master of the “What Do You Know” fame said it was unfortunate that the hands of the Magistrate, were also tied to grant bail to the accused persons before the court.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons on June 8, this year, conspired to murder and caused the death of Nii Saban.

Nii was reportedly chased and shot to death at close range by the accused persons during traditional rites to lift the annual ban on drumming and noise making.

All the 25 have been slapped with an additional charge of attempted murder of one Kojo Richard and Jonathan Aryeetey.

Cobra is facing another charge of possessing firearms without lawful authority.

The pleas of the accused persons have not been taken.

The accused persons chased Nii Saban, who had reportedly entered the room of one Auntie Yaa Kaah for safety, fired at him, inflicted cutlass wounds on him and dumped him in another room and bolted.

Nii was rushed to the Police Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

A post-mortem examination conducted on the deceased revealed the cause of death as hemorrhagic shock, near traumatic amputation of the left leg and gunshot at close range.

Suspects

The suspects are Asafoatse Neequaye Kortey aka Cobra, carpenter; Musa Mohammed aka commander, scrap dealer; Rahim Yakubu, aka Sulley, cattle drover; James Laryea, businessman; Michael Akumeh, labourer; Prince Kwesi Boateng, musician and Dzaatse Nii Okai-Kiofio, a retired civil servant.

Others are David Sampah, student; Solomon Attoh, unemployed; Abel Bortey, mason; Abraham Ofori, labourer; Emmanuel Aryee, motor rider; Eunoch Attoh, carpenter and Ezekiel Nii Ayeequaye Tetteh, motor rider.

The rest are Eric Aryeequaye Armah, motor rider; Frank Okine, electronics engineer; Derrick Kwabena Mensah, mason; Prince Okine, trader; Joseph Oblitey Commey, Nathaniel Ayah – both farmers, Henry Crenstil aka Ajayi, goldsmith, Kwabena Otchere Baah Evans aka Asafoatse, Patrick Nii Otu Doodo, aka Soldier and Francis Saviour Dzidzor.

Source: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson/ thePublisher