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07.08.2002 General News

Serial Killer to Be Hanged

By GNA
Serial Killer to Be Hanged
07.08.2002 LISTEN

"You are sentenced to death by hanging and your body would be buried at a place determined by the President. May the Lord have mercy upon you." That was exactly how an Accra High Court presided over by Justice Agnes Dordzie rounded up her sentencing yesterday after a seven-member jury had unanimously found Charles Ebo Quansah, the self confessed serial killer guilty of murder. The convict has thirty (30) days to appeal against the ruling. Before the verdict was delivered Quansah told the court, "I am innocent." The cheerful looking Quansah suddenly went calm after the verdict. Charles Quansah's counsel, Mr. Joseph Amui of the Legal Aid Board who has won all his cases except this told The Accra Daily Mail that he would definitely appeal against the verdict.
The Principal State Attorney, Mr. Anthony Gyambiby said it was a fair verdict and that the state is ready to respond should the convict appeal.
The usually big crowds that besiege the courts during such cases were virtually absent but some of the people at court in a remarkable show of magnanimity sympathised with the scrawny looking convict.
Quansah, 34, was accused of killing eight women in Accra and Kumasi and was therefore, arrested by the police and kept in prison custody. He was arrested at his Adenta residence sometime in February last year.
An Accra Community Tribunal on March 15, this year committed the convict to stand trial at a higher court for the murder of Akua Serwah in Kumasi.
Six witnesses for the Prosecution and three for the Defence testified
during the trial, which started in May and ended in August.
Both the Prosecution led by Mr Anthony Gyambiby, Principal State
Attorney and Defence Counsel, Mr Joseph Amui completed their addresses to close their cases on Monday July 29.
Quansah, was accused of confessing to killing eight women in Accra and Kumasi and was, therefore, arrested by the Police and kept in prison custody, while a bill of indictment and summary of evidence were being prepared by the Office of the Attorney -General, to begin the trial.
Subsequently, on March 15, this year an Accra Community Tribunal (a lower court) committed the accused person to stand trial at a higher court, for the murder of Akua Serwah, a 24-year-old hairdresser at Asokwa, near the Kumasi Sports Stadium
Evidence before court was that the " serial killer " befriended Serwah in 1996, while he was in Kumasi where he strangled her after a drinking spree at a bar near the Kumasi Sports Stadium.
The commencement of the trial was adjourned until May 8, 2002, when the trial judge noted that initially, Quansah did not have a representation and, therefore, ordered the Legal Aid Board to appoint a counsel to represent the accused person.
Quansah looked very cheerful with occasional smiles during the trial. He was composed.


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