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25.04.2012 Crime & Punishment

'I'll Poison My Kids'

By Daily Guide
'I'll Poison My Kids'
25.04.2012 LISTEN

A Kumasi-based Evangelist and mother of three, Adwoa Serwah, 39, has threatened to poison herself and her three young boys between the ages of two and eight years.

Adwoa Serwah is the widow of the late Atta Obiri Yaw, a black market operator who was shot dead by Prince Adu Boakye at Ridge in Kumasi in 2009.

With a grim face, she exclaimed on Tuesday outside a court that she would carry through threat if Prince Adu Boakye, who has been brought to court for retrial, was set free.

Evangelist Serwah's late husband, Atta Obiri Yaw, 40, a black market operator at the Kumasi Central Market, was allegedly shot and killed from behind in a car by Adu Boakye on August 3, 2009.

A circuit court in Kumasi in 2010 found Adu Boakye, then 24 years old, culpable of the crime and consequently sentenced him to 80 years' imprisonment in hard labour.

The family of Boakye, who were unhappy with the court's verdict, appealed to the Attorney General's office in Accra for a retrial.

The matter, which has become a major topic of discussions among Kumasi residents, has therefore been forwarded to Circuit Court Four in Kumasi, presided by Emmanuel Lodo, for a fresh hearing.

Evangelist Serwah, who came to the court with her three kids, stunned onlookers and media men present when, after the proceedings, she threatened to poison herself and her children.

According to her, the death of her husband, who was the breadwinner of the family, had brought hardship on herself and the children; therefore any attempt to set her husband's killer free would be disastrous.

“I will poison myself and my children if this killer is set free by the court,” she warned, adding that she was now even struggling to provide three square meals a day for herself and the children.

Meanwhile, the Circuit Court Four has remanded Prince Adu Boakye into prison custody to reappear on May 18, 2012.

The suspect's plea was not taken.
Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Akosua Dansua, from the AG's Department, said on August 3, 2009, the deceased person was in possession of GH¢96,200. which he wanted to change into US dollar denominations.

Adu Boakye promised to help him get the money changed into US dollar denominations so he told the deceased to accompany him to a friend's workplace, a timber firm in the city.

After sometime, Adu Boakye said he had made arrangements with a bank at Ahodwo where the money had been made ready so they should go and cash it right away.

After sometime in the bank, the suspect told the deceased that considering the quantum of the amount, they could not cash it at the Ahodwo branch so they had move to the main branch at Adum.

On their way to Adum, Adu Boakye told Atta that the money was still not ready so they should relax at Frames Guest House at Nhyiaeso and wait whilst the money was being prepared for them.

After waiting for a while at the guest house, the suspect told the deceased, who was in possession of the GH¢96,200 that the dollars were ready at the bank so they should go and cash it.

The two were in a VW Golf car heading towards Adum but upon reaching a portion of the road at Ridge, the suspect stopped the car and pretended to give something to someone.

Adu Boakye headed straight to the boot of the car, took a pump action gun which was lying there and allegedly shot the unsuspecting Atta, who was then firmly seated in the front seat, from behind.

After shooting Atta to death, Adu Boakye drove the car to Apire where he dumped the lifeless body of the victim. Atta's body was found on August 4, 2009 at Apire. The matter was reported to the police and Adu Boakye was arrested.

The prosecutor narrated that Adu Boakye, in his caution statement, admitted to committing the crime and even produced GH¢79,000.00 out of the total amount of GH¢96,200.

The matter was taken to court where the suspect was found guilty of murder and was subsequently sentenced.

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