'Killer' Snake Doctor Fined GH¢600

FINED! Togbe Adesi II

A Ho-based traditional herbalist, Togbe Adesi II who run over four teenage girls about four months ago killing one of them Enyonam Murray instantly, has pleaded guilty to all five charges leveled against him and has been convicted to a fine of GH¢600, amidst tears from the victim's relatives.

There was much drama at the Ho Circuit Court presided over by Francis Afriyie when Togbe Adesi who is also the Volta Regional Chairman of the Traditional Herbalists Association appeared before the Court on Monday after failing to do so on several occasions.

The drama came up when Lawrence Dzatta, counsel for the herbalist verbally attacked the father of the deceased, Mathias Murray describing him as 'stupid,' 'chronic' liar among others.

The offence of the deceased teenager's father to warrant such words was that he denied counsel's claims that both parties had reached an amicable settlement over the issue, a situation that infuriated the counsel.

In response the father of the deceased said, 'We have left everything in the hands of God.' At that point the deceased's siblings and other relatives burst into tears.

It will be recalled that DAILY GUIDE reported some four months ago, that the herbalist rammed into some four teenage girls with his Land Rover with registration number GT 5193-10 at a spot very close to the Volta Regional Police Headquarters killing Ms. Murray, 15 and critically injuring the rest.

At the time of the incident, a live African Royal Python known in Ewe as 'Togbi Dabi' was found inside the spare-tyre compartment of the vehicle with an egg lying by it.

Togbe Adesi was charged for dangerous driving, driving without a license, driving without an insurance cover, failure to give information and failure to stop and report an accident to the police.

He could not however report at the Court for the first and second hearings prompting the presiding judge to issue a bench warrant for his arrest. During the first appearance, Counsel for the herbalist told the Court that his client was suffering from a running stomach hence his inability to report.

During the second appearance, the herbalist again refused to appear before the Court even though his counsel had personally driven to his house to inform him about the proceedings.  The judge then issued a bench warrant for his arrest for the case to be heard last Monday.

From Fred Duodu, Ho