Canadian Murder Case: Forensic evidence ready 

An Adentan District Court was unable to start committal proceedings against Safina Mohammed Adizatu, a student and Michael Fiifi Ampofo Arku a technical officer, who are being held on charges of murder.

The two accused persons are being held over the death of Frank Kofi Osei, a Ghanaian resident Canadian, who was murdered in cold blood at Ashaley Botwe School Junction in July 2022 during a visit to Safina's residence.

At the Adentan District Court today, Senior State Attorney Nana Ama Adinkra said they have received forensic evidence, which would be sent for analysis and added to the new Bill of Indictment.

According to the Senior Attorney, the forensic evidence was “just received”.

She said since forensic investigations took a long time, the court should grant them 30 days as the accused persons were on bail.

The Attorney said Arku would not be charged with an indictable offence.

She could not, however, tell the court of new charges that would be preferred against Arku.

The Attorney said on receipt of the forensic report, a new Bill of Indictment would be prepared.

The District Court said it would need feedback from the Attorney General on Arku.

The matter has been adjourned to April 18, 2023.

The Office of the Attorney General had on March 9, this year, filed a Bill of Indictment and served same on the police and the court.

This was to make way for committal proceedings to be conducted by the court against the two accused persons.

Nii Amartey and Joseph Bondzi represented Arku while Kasia Naa Abekah held Mr Samuel Alorsu Takyi's brief for Safina.

The accused persons who are facing charges of conspiracy and murder, are now on bail.

The two are standing trial for their alleged involvement in the death of Osei.

The case of the prosecution was that on Sunday July 2022, Osei, who was on vacation in Ghana, visited Safina, his fiancé, who lived at Ashaley Botwe School Junction and decided to spend the night with her.

At night, Safina and other accomplices yet to be arrested allegedly stabbed Osei with a knife and strangled him.

The prosecution said Osei's blood was allegedly cleaned from the floor by Safina and Arku while his body was in the room for 24 hours.

It said the accused persons allegedly dragged Osei's body from the first floor of the storey building through the staircase and dumped it at the gate of the house where the deceased had parked his Toyota Tundra.

The prosecution said Safina had called a policeman claiming that her boyfriend, who visited her had died in her room.

When the Police proceeded to the scene, they found the body of Osei, lying at the gate of Safina's house.

Safina, a student was nabbed at Ashaley Botwe School Junction and Arku, who allegedly escaped to Kumasi was picked up later.

GNA