Kasoa murder trial: Court sets May 7 for verdict

The High Court in Accra has set May 7, this year, to decide whether or not the two teenagers accused of the murder of an 11-year-old boy in Kasoa for money ritual are guilty. 

This comes after the prosecution, led by Senior State Attorney, Nana Ama Adoma, had paraded eight witnesses to firm up its case of conspiracy and murder against the two suspects who are 18 and 15 years respectively.

While the juvenile admitted to committing the crime in his defence before a seven-member jury, the young offender on the other hand, maintained his innocence.  

The court, presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, fixed the date when the case came up for hearing yesterday.

She further ordered the defence counsel to file their addresses by March 18, this year. 

On the judgement day, the judge would summarise the evidence adduced before the court, and explain to the jury the elements for establishing conspiracy and murder under the laws of the country in line with the evidence before the court.

Prosecution’s facts

According to the prosecution, on March 29, 2021, the accused persons consulted a spiritualist for money rituals locally known as "sakawa".

The said spiritualist, who claimed to be in the Volta Region, was said to have requested GH¢5,000 and a human being to perform the rituals.

On April 3, 2021, the accused persons, according to the prosecution, decided to use the deceased in furtherance of their "sakawa" mission.

 At about 9 a.m. on the same day, the prosecutor said, the juvenile accused lured the deceased into an uncompleted building where the second accused had laid ambush with the club of a pickaxe.

“As soon as the deceased arrived, they told him to remove a video game from a sack they had deposited in a corner of the room.

“When the deceased bent down in an attempt to remove the said video game from the sack, the second accused struck him at the back of his neck with the club, causing him to fall,” Nana Osei said.

The deceased, she said, turned to look at the juvenile accused and pleaded with him not to kill him but forgive him if he had offended him but his plea was ignored by the juvenile accused who struck the head of the deceased with a cement block which was in the building.

As a result, the deceased became unconscious but was still breathing.

The accused persons, the prosecution said, further used a spade and a shovel to dig a shallow grave in the room and buried the deceased intending to convey him to the spiritualist.

Writer’s E-mail: justice.agbenorsi@graphic.com.gh