Court discharges late Kikibees' girlfriend

The Madina District Court has discharged Mam Yandey Joof, the girlfriend of the late CEO of Kikibees Restaurant and Lounge. 

Mam Yandey Joof had been charged with one count of murder in relation to Kikibees death.

But following an advice from the Office of the Attorney General, that her prosecution should be discontinued, she has been discharged.

Prosecution

The prosecution led by Inspector Jameson Awumey, told the court that the deceased, popularly known as Ben Kikibees and the accused person, had been in an alleged amorous relationship in the last three years.

The prosecution said the deceased had traveled overseas three months earlier and returned to Ghana on October 7, 2023. 

On his arrival, the prosecutor said at about 6pm the same day, Kikibees went to his residence at East Legon and after about two hours, he proceeded to his restaurant [Kikibees] at East Legon. 

The prosecution said on October 8, 2023, at about 12:30 am, kikibees left the restaurant to visit the accused person at her residence at Ogbojo near Madina in Greater Accra. 

The prosecutor said at about 1:30 am, Kikibees started behaving strangely and throwing things in the room amidst shouts that some people were after him.

The shouts of the deceased woke up some neighbours in the house. The prosecution told the court that Joof then allegedly called a friend of the deceased to come to her residence and help her.

When the said friend arrived, he found the deceased lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen. 

The prosecutor said some tenants in the house helped the accused and the deceased’s friend to take the deceased to the DEL Hospital at East Legon. 

He said Agyekum-Adoma, however, died shortly on arrival. The prosecution said a report was made to the Police and the body was sent to the Police Hospital for preservation and autopsy.

Joof was later arrested and later remanded by the court and her plea reserved, as the court did not have the jurisdiction to neither grant bail nor take a plea in a murder charge.

On December 5, 2023, a High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, granted her bail in the sum of GH¢200,000 with one surety to be justified.

Discharge

The court granted the bail largely because the final autopsy report, attached to the application filed by Muniru Kassim, showed that the deceased died from severe injury to the head following a fall due to alcohol intoxication.

The District Court had been waiting for the advice of the Attorney General which would determine which charges to prefer against the accused person, whether the case needed further investigation or the accused ought to the discharged.

When the case was called yesterday, the prosecutor told the court that the Attorney General’s advice was ready and it had asked that Joof should be discharged.

The court, presided over by Her Worship Susana Nyakotey, subsequently discharged the accused who burst into tears in the courtroom.