No guilty verdict in J.B. Danquah-Adu’s murder - ‘Sexy Don Don’ to be retried

Nearly nine years after the murder of the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North Constituency, J. B. Danquah-Adu, his family would have to wait a little longer in search of justice as the man accused of killing him has to be retried. 

This comes after a seven-member jury returned a not guilty verdict of 4:3 in favour of Daniel Asiedu, aka Sexy Don Don, who, before the trial officially started in 2021, had gone through the justice system due to legal representation issues since 2016.

On the charge of robbery, four members of the jury said they did not find Sexy Don Don to be guilty while three found him to be guilty.

For murder, four members of the jury said they did not find Asiedu to be guilty while three found him to be guilty.

Per the hung jury decision, Asiedu is to be retried on the charges due to Section 286 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30).

The provision reads, “Where the jury is discharged, the accused shall be detained in custody or released on bail, and shall be tried by another jury”.

Consequently, the court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo has adjourned the case to December 20.

Asiedu’s lawyer, Yaw Dankwa, has started pushing for bail for his client who has been on remand at the Nsawam Prison for the past eight years. 

The business of the day, which included final addresses by lawyers from both sides, summing up by the judge, and the deliberations leading to the verdict, started at 9:40 a.m. and ended at 5:55 p.m. 

State  

The prosecution’s case was that Asiedu, who was on a robbery spree at the legislator’s house, made some noise which woke the MP up.

The prosecution said a struggle ensued between the two, leading to Asiedu stabbing the MP in the neck and chest, killing him in the process.

In her closing address, a Principal State Attorney, Sefakor Batse, who led the prosecution to call eight witnesses to firm up the case against the accused, called on the jury to return a guilty verdict.

She added that the accused did not only steal the late MP’s phones but used force and harmed him in the process, adding, “All this was to overcome any resistance from the deceased”.

She pointed the jury to the testimony of Kenneth Krankye, a phone vendor, who the prosecution claimed Asiedu gave the late MP’s stolen phones to.

In addition to this, she also relied on the testimony of an occupant of a house close to the late MP’s. 

Defence

The defence counsel, led by Mr Dankwah, disagreed with the prosecution.

Counsel asked the jury to question why the prosecution never switched on the mobile phones they claim his client stole from the MP.

Aside from that, counsel argued that none of the DNA tests presented by the prosecution were independently vetted. 

Counsel said that the case was not properly investigated since there was not a single eye that saw the accused person at the crime scene.

“It was an election year that year, so many things were overlooked. Don’t let the real culprit walk around, it could be your son tomorrow. Use the opportunity you got to make sure that the right thing is done,” he told the jury. 

Background  

On February 9, 2016, Mr Danquah-Adu was murdered in cold blood at his residence at Shiashie, a suburb of Accra.

Asiedu was arrested on February 11, 2016, by the police at a hideout at Agbogbloshie in connection with the murder of the legislator, and the police claimed Asiedu had confessed to killing the MP.

Asiedu was charged alongside Vincent Bosso for conspiracy to commit robbery, while Asiedu was further charged separately with murder. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Bosso was discharged after the prosecution had closed its case while Asiedu was asked to open his defence. 

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