Ex Ivorian minister re-arrested, charged for murder

By Helena Selby

THE IVORIAN Former Minister for Budget who is facing charges of armed robbery at the Osu Magistrate Court was yesterday arraigned at the Regional Tribunal Court on charges of murder.

The accused person, Mr. Kone Katinan Justin, was arrested by Interpol Ghana based on a warrant issued by Ivorian authorities for the crime he committed back in his country.

Mr. Justin, who was earlier wanted for economic crimes, is alleged to have conspired with one Dald Desire to murder one Kamagate Seydou and Diabete Drissa.

He is facing one charge of conspiracy to commit crime, contrary to Section 23 (1) 149 of Act 29/60, and two counts of murder contrary to Section 46 of criminal code 1960 (act29) of Ghana. His plea has not yet been taken

The Prosecutor, DSP A.A Annor made an application that the accused person be remanded into custody to assist Interpol in its investigation. DSP Annor said he only has information from the Ivorian Interpol that the accused person’s accomplice has been apprehended in Cote d’ Ivoire.

The counsel for the accused person, Mr. Patrick Segbedo, in his application for bail, opposed the remand application the prosecutor issued, saying that the process of extradition is already pending at the Osu Magistrate Court.

According to him, the accused person has already been charged with robbery, and in line with the laws of extradition of Ghana, the Osu court is about to commence extradition hearing on November 9, 2012.

He said the accused person is already on bail and that the court continuing with the case would bring about two jurisdiction doing the same job, and this could create some sense of confusion.

He indicated that the prosecution’s application to remand the accused person to aid investigation “does not hold water as Ghana’s Interpol does not have the mandate to investigate crimes that occurs in another jurisdiction, but have the power to only apprehend.”

The court, presided over by Mr. Ali Baba turned down the bail application made by the counsel, commenting that the robbery charges against the accused person at the Osu magistrate court cannot be related to the charges of murder leveled against him, as murder is a first degree felony.

He, therefore, remanded the accused person in custody to re-appear before the court on October 16, 2012.

Narrating the facts of the case to the court, the prosecutor told the court that on March 2011 at about 7:00pm, the accused person conspired with his accomplice and murdered a 33 year old welder by name Kamagate Seydou, a resident of Port Bouet, a suburb of Abidjan.

DSP Annor continued that on March 29, 2011, the accused person again conspired with his accomplice, attacked and murdered a 37 year old trader, Diabete Drissa, also at Port Bouet.

“On September 25, 2012, Ivorian authorities issued an arrest warrant in respect of the accused person and informed Ghanaian authorities that the accused person had been seen in Ghana and therefore requested assistance to arrest him” the prosecutor added.

He further recounted that on September 28, 2012, the accused person was arrested by the police and sent to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters and is currently in detention at the department.

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