Judge chastises AG’s Dept. over delays in murdered MP’s case

The magistrate handling the murder case the late member of parliament for Abuakwa North J.B Danquah Adu has lashed out at the Attorney General’s Department over its lukewarm attitude in preparing the bill of indictment on the case.

“I get hurt when accused persons are tossed up and down. Accused persons can only be freed when they are proven not guilty.

“I think the case is being delayed by the Attorney General and the bill of indictment is taking too long,” Mr Ebenezer Kweku Ansah, a Magistrate who presided over the J.B Danquah case at the District Court lamented.

The Judge’s lamentation came about when the two suspects who are being trailed in the murder of Mr J. B. DanquahAdu, Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North of the sixth Parliament, appeared before him at the District Court in Accra. Mr Stephen Owusu, the substantive judge is on leave.

Asiedu is one of the two persons being held for the MP’s murder

The suspects are Daniel Asiedu aka Sexy Dondon, and Vincent Bosso aka Junior Agogo are being held for the murder of the late MP in an incident which occurred on February 9, 2016, at the MP’s Shaishie residence.

Bosso has been charged with abetment of crime but the pleas of the two, who are on remand, have not been taken.

The Magistrate said he did not know what was keeping the state attorneys from preparing the bill of indictment noting some bill of indictment could be prepared within some few minutes.

On the strike embarked by state attorneys, the Judge said it was not the entire state attorneys who embarked on that strike, and that the senior ones worked during the period.

Prosecuting Superintendent of Police Mr. Francis Baah told the Court that he spoke with the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) but she could not tell if the bill of indictment was ready.

Mr.Baah reminded the Court that state attorney had been on strike and they just resumed.

The Prosecutor also informed the Court that the Police had rectified the food problem encountered by Aseidu.

Defence Counsel, Mr.Augustines Obuor informed the Court that Aseidu’s wife had delivered and he wanted to see his baby.

The Court adjourned the matter to February 15 and tasked the Police to follow up at the AG.

According to Mr.Baah, the Prosecutor, on February 8, 2016, at about 2340 hours the deceased came home in his private vehicle driven by his driver, Samuel BerkoSarkodie.

Prosecution said the driver after parking handed over the ignition keys to the deceased and left for his residence at Kasoa, while the deceased retired to his bedroom.

He said at about 0100 hrs, Asiedu and Bosso who were armed went to the house of the deceased where Asiedu entered the bedroom of the deceased through the window, while the deceased was asleep.

“Asiedu began to search the room and the noise woke up the deceased who held him. Asiedu resisted and stabbed the deceased on the right chest above the breast”.

The Prosecution said the deceased held the knife while Asiedu pulled the knife through the deceased hands creating a deep cut in his palm.

Prosecution said the deceased who was bleeding profusely fell by his bed helpless while Asiedu stabbed him several times on the right chest and neck.

Realizing that the deceased was almost dead, Asiedu left him and took away his three iPhones.

The Prosecutor said the security man who heard a strange sound in the house alerted other security men within the vicinity.

Mr.Baah said Bosso realising the danger took to his heels leaving Asiedu behind.

Asiedu, however, managed to descend from deceased room to the back house, climbed one of the poly tanks in the house and jumped over the electric fence into the adjoining house and escaped.

He said the security man then called the police emergency line and informed them of the situation.

When the Police arrived the victim was already dead and his body was conveyed to the Police Hospital mortuary.

On February 15, an autopsy report from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital gave the cause of death as “Exsanguination” and multiple stab injuries on the anterior and chest.”

Prosecution said Police investigations led to the arrest of accused persons who stated that their aim of going to the house of the deceased was to steal.

The Prosecutor said Asiedu explained that the deceased struggled with him when he entered the room and this compelled him to use the knife on him.