Fresh charges levelled against JB’s killers

Fresh charges have been levelled against the two men alleged to be involved in the murder of the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North, J.B. Danquah-Adu, two days after they were discharged by the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court.

The two men — Daniel Asiedu and Vincent Bosso — have been charged with murder and abetment of murder, respectively, and were, accordingly, dragged to the Accra Central District Court Thursday.

During their appearance at the court, Asiedu was emphatic that he had been discharged by the High Court and, therefore, must be allowed to go home.

According to him, instead of the state discharging him, as ordered by the High Court, he was kept in police custody and bombarded with a barrage of questions in the absence of his lawyer.

“I have been discharged and so allow me to go home and when the police need me, they can come for me for questioning,’’ he said.

Last Tuesday, the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court, presided over by Mr Justice Lawrence L. Mensah, discharged Asiedu and Bosso after the Attorney-General (A-G) had filed a nolle prosequi to discontinue with the prosecution.

“I want to speak with my lawyer”

Asiedu raised his hands to make a comment immediately the case was announced by the court clerk.

He was then told by the presiding magistrate, Ms Efua G. Sackey, to allow the clerk to read the charges levelled against him and afford the prosecutor the opportunity to read the facts before he could talk.

Immediately he was given the opportunity to talk, Asiedu disputed the facts and demanded to speak with his lawyer.

Unlike on his previous appearances in court when he spoke in Twi, Asiedu made all his comments in English.

According to him, his lawyer gave him his mobile phone contact to call him in case of any new development, but when he asked the police to call his lawyer for him, they refused and rather took him to court without contacting his lawyer.

“I want to speak with my lawyer,’’ he told the court.

Reaction

In his reaction to Asiedu’s accusations, the prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr George Amegah, said the police had never prevented Asiedu from getting in touch with his lawyer.

“It is not true and we do not want the court to get the impression that the accused person’s right to counsel has been denied,’’ he said.

He explained to the court that Asiedu and Bosso were only discharged and not acquitted by the Accra High Court, and, therefore, the state acted lawfully in rearresting them and arraigning them subsequently.

Remand

DSP Amegah further stated that investigations were ongoing and prayed the court to remand the two accused persons in police custody to enable them to assist with the investigations.

The court granted the prayer and remanded the two men in police custody to reappear before the court on June 15, 2017.

The presiding magistrate, however, instructed the police to allow the accused persons to have audience with their lawyer.

“Whatever phone call they want to make to their lawyer, allow them to do that,’’ she ordered.

Facts

The facts of the case, as presented by DSP Amegah, were that the deceased MP lived with his family in a one-storey house at Shiashie, near East Legon, a suburb of Accra, while Asiedu and Bosso lived at Agbogbloshie, also in Accra.

 About 11:40 p.m. on February 8, 2016, the MP arrived home in his private car driven by his driver. The driver had handed over the ignition keys of the car to Mr Danquah-Adu and left for home, after which the MP retired to bed in a room located on the first floor of his house.

About 1 a.m. that same night, Asiedu and Bosso, armed with a catapult, a cutter and a sharp knife, went to the legislator’s house.

Bosso is said to have assisted Asiedu to enter the house by scaling the fence wall on the blind side of a security man who was fast asleep. On entering the house, Asiedu picked a ladder and climbed onto a porch on the top floor and entered the MP’s bedroom through a window while Mr Danquah-Adu was sleeping.

While Asiedu was searching the room, the MP woke up and held him. There ensued a struggle, during which Asiedu stabbed the MP in the right chest above the breast. The MP consequently held the knife and Asiedu pulled it through the MP’s hand, making a deep cut in his palm.

The legislator, who bled profusely, fell by his bed, after which Asiedu stabbed him several times on his right chest and neck.

On realising that the MP was dying, Asiedu left the room and took with him three iPhone smart phones.

Meanwhile, the struggle between the MP and Asiedu had drawn the attention of the security man in the house, who alerted other security men in the neighbourhood.

Having been alerted to the impending danger, Bosso took to his heels, leaving Asiedu behind. However, Asiedu managed to descend from the top of the house and jumped over the electric fencing on the walls of the house into an adjoining house and escaped.