The High Court in Accra has recently issued a trial warrant for an 18-year-old young offender involved in the ongoing Kasoa ritual murder case. This decision comes after allegations of misconduct at the police cells, leading to the accused being mandated to be kept in Nsawam prison’s custody instead of a police cell.
The 18-year-old, who is the second accused in the case, is standing trial alongside a 15-year-old juvenile (the first accused) for the murder of 10-year-old Ishmael Mensah Abdella in Kasoa.
The order by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo means that the young offender, who has been in police custody since his arrest in April 2021, will now be under the care of the prison authority.
During a court session on Monday, June 24, 2024, Nana Adoma Osei, a senior state attorney, informed the court that officers at the Osu Police Station requested that the second accused should not be returned to their custody after the court session that day. While the specific issues caused by the second accused in police cells were not immediately specified, the prosecution requested that he be remanded in prison custody based on the information received.
Lawrence Boampong Wireko, counsel for the second accused, expressed unawareness of such information and requested that the second accused remain in police cells since the trial is nearly concluded, with only the summing up and the jury’s verdict pending. He also offered to speak to the second accused about his conduct and asked the court to caution him.
The investigator who accompanied the accused to court stated that the 18-year-old has been rotated among various police stations and has been involved in fights with inmates at both Osu and Cantonment stations. However, the second accused denied these allegations when addressing the court.
After considering the submissions from the counsel for the republic, the counsel for the accused, and the accused himself, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo issued a trial warrant for the second accused, directing that he be kept at the Nsawam Prison and brought to court as needed.
Despite the court being ready to sum up the trial and for the jury to return their verdict on Monday, June 24, the absence of jurors resulted in another adjournment. The case has now been adjourned to July 8, 2024, with hopes that the jurors will report for duty. This is the second time the judgment has been deferred, following previous adjournments on May 7 and June 24, 2024.
In conclusion, the ongoing Kasoa ritual murder case continues to unfold as the trial progresses. The decision to transfer the second accused to Nsawam prison’s custody reflects the court's response to allegations of misconduct at police cells. With further adjournments and pending jury verdict, the case remains a focal point of legal proceedings in Accra.
-source Starrfm | curated by Aisha Yakubu | GhanaCrimes
