3 persons in Oblogo murder case in prison custody

By Maame Agyeiwaa Agyei

 

An Accra magistrate court has ordered three prime accused persons, standing trial for the murder of the late Chief of Oblogo, Nii Kwaku Bibini III, during a recent chieftaincy dispute, to be remanded into prison custody.

The court, presided over by Mr. Alibaba Bature, yesterday gave the order, following prosecution’s assertion that the accused persons, Ibrahim Tetteh, alias Hotcake, Moses Attoh and Abdul Rauf, should be in prison custody, since the police cells, where they are being kept, is congested and needed to be fumigated.

Even though, counsel for the accused persons objected to his clients being sent into prison custody explaining that, he could not afford him the opportunity to readily have access to his clients; the court ordered otherwise and asked the accused persons to re-appear before it on November 5, this year.

The plea of the accused persons, who have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and murder, has not been taken.

Meanwhile, the accused persons are also standing trial, together with twelve other people, namely Kofi Kpoh, Agenyega Amedeka, Comfort Aryee, Samuel Kponmegbe, Otokunnor Sackey, Samuel Tetteh and Gabriel Aheto, Prince Sackey, Enoch Kofi, Joshua Tetteh, Joseph Laryea and Salifu Sumaila, who are all on bail.

The prosecutor, ASP George Amega, futher told the court that the docket on the case had been forwarded to the Attorney General for advice.

The facts of the case, as presented by the prosecuting officer are that in 2011, a certain Amadu Salifu, was killed by one Alex Cudjoe, who is at large. In the course of investigations, the late chief was arraigned for abetment of murder at James Town Magistrate Court.

The prosecutor noted that the chief was granted bail at an Accra Human Rights Court on condition that he would not step a foot in Oblogo, till the final determination of the trial, in order to ensure peace in the town.

According to him, the chief, not satisfied with the bail condition, failed to appear before the James Town Court and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest, but he appealed against the bail condition at an Accra High Court, which rescinded the decision of the Human Rights Court on grounds that it restricted his movement.

The chief was, however, bonded by the High Court to ensure that there was peace in the town.

Mr. Amega further indicated that on April 8, 2012, the acting chief of Oblogo, Nii Okine, in the company of others, went to the Weija Police Station to report that the late chief was seen with some persons shooting indiscriminately, but the police rushed to the scene to discover that the allegation was frivolous.

In addition, the prosecutor noted that the deceased, later that day, went to the police and gave them a copy of the court ruling on his bail, which was handed over to the District Commander and the Crime Officer.

ASP Amega said the acting Oblogo chief and his alleged accomplices had earlier threatened that the unthinkable would happen if the deceased continued staying in the town.

A few days after the alleged threat, Nii Bibini was killed, and investigations revealed that on the said date, the deceased had engaged the services of a carpenter and mason to renovate some parts of his palace which was burnt.

The police officer stated that at about 4pm on the said day, a group of people including the accused persons stormed the palace of the deceased, chased him and killed him instantly.

Ibrahim Laryea was later arrested. During investigations, it was revealed that Laryea ordered his friend to shoot the deceased but his friend failed to do so and he shot the chief.

The Defense council asked for bail to the accused on the basis that when they are in prison custody the council could not have access to them.

Also the defense council does not understand why their clients are being put in separate custodies whether it’s because the place is congested.

 

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