During their hearing in court on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, one of the main accused persons in the case of the murder of a young lady at Mankessim, the Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwaakrom, implored the Cape Coast District Court to recuse the third accused person in the ongoing case.
Giving his reasons, the accused, Christopher Ekow Clarke, explained to the court that, the only crime the third accused, Jonathan Obeng, committed was to dig a hole for them.
He explained that the mason had no hand in the crime and as such, he should be withdrawn from the trial, a report by myjoyonline.com has stated.
The prosecution however argued otherwise, insisting that Jonathan is as implicit as the other accused persons.
Presiding over the case, Bernice Mensima Ackon however shot down the Tufuhene’s plea, stating that the case was yet to reach a stage that would require him, the accused, to make any submissions in court.
The report added that in court also, a new charge sheet was presented to the court, which included the name of Jonathan Obeng as the third accused person.
Luckily for the third accused however, he was represented in court by a lawyer, unlike the two first accused persons.
The Mankessim murder case involves a young lady, Georgina Asor Botchwey, who had travelled to Cape Coast with the hope of being admitted into the nursing school there but was later discovered to have been killed and buried.
The victim has since been discovered in a shallow grave dug in the kitchen of the Tufuhene of Ekumfi Akwaakrom, Christopher Ekow Clarke.
He was aided by Michael Darko, a pastor and fiancé of the sister of the deceased.
The family has since called for the court to expedite the trial and grant it closure in the matter.
An aunt of the deceased, Kate Swanzy, told a section of the media at the court on Tuesday that they expect the suspects to be handed down the full punishments for the charges they are standing trial for.
“The government should sanction them accordingly to ensure that everyone is pleased. I am confident that on October 18 when they reappear before the court, they would admit that they are guilty.
“It is clear they are guilty; so, the court should not continue adjourning the case. It should rather expedite the trial. Currently as I speak to you, the deceased’s sister has been left in total shock; her life has been messed up by this case. I doubt if she would even have the courage to marry or show interest in any man,” she said.
The case was adjourned until Tuesday, October 18, 2022, the report added.
ghanaweb.com
