Pathologist makes 'U' turn

By: Ivy Benson
A Pathologist who examined the alleged severed body of the Late Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II has indicated that comments he made before the Wuako Commission of enquiry into the Yendi crisis of 2002, were not the right comments on the severed corpse that he worked on.

The witness, Dr. Brigadier Jeswanel Mante Wadhwani, stationed at the 37 Military Hopital, who could not 'Make positive identification of the severed body he examined, resulting from the Yendi crisis', noted that the severed body was identified and the causes of death arrived at.

Dr. Wadhwani was giving evidence yesterday, in a case in which 15 Abudus, including the former District Chief Executive of Yendi, Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, are facing trial for the murder of the Over Lord of Dagbon, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II before an Accra Fast Track Court (FTC).

The witness, who tendered a report on the findings of his examination on the a severed body, alleged to be that of the late Ya-Na and some 28 others told the court, presided over by Justice Ayirebi, an Appeal court judge, with additional responsibility as a High court judge that the comments he passed before the Wuako Commission were not the right comments.

His response came behind the backdrop of cross-examination conducted by the defense counsel, Mr. Phillip Addison, where the witness was confronted with his comments made before the Commission and the High Court, which tried two people on the Yendi crisis in relation to the comments he had place in his report and before the court.

According to the witness, identification of the severed body was done without the presence of any family member.

The accused persons standing trial include Iddrisu Iddi, alias Mbadugu,  Alhaji Baba Abdulai Iddrisu, alias Zohe, Kwame Alhassan, alias Achiri, Mohammed Abdulai, alias Samasama, Sayibu Mohammed, Alhassan Braimah, Iddrisu Iddi and Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, the former District Chief Executive (DCE) for Yendi.

The rest are Alhassan Mohammed, alias Mohammed Cheampon, Abukari Nabeli, alias Kunkakums or Kooms, Mohammed Mustapha, Yakubu Yusif, alias Leftee, Abdul Razak Yussif, alias Nyaa and Shani Imoro.

While fourteen of the accused persons are facing charges of conspiracy in murdering the OverLord of Dabon, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, another accused person, Zakaria Yakubu, who is currently at large, is facing a charge of murdering the Ya-Na.

The fourteen accused persons had pleaded not guilty to conspiring in the murder of the Ya-Na as they are standing trial before a-seven-member jury.

Dr. Brigadier Wadhwani, who was then a Colonel as at the time he performed the autopsy on the lifeless bodies, noted that he submitted findings, which were his impressions on the state of the corpse examined.

He further pointed out that he was silent on the causation of death in the case of the severed body, which was being whispered among the medical officers at the Yendi Government Hospital as the corpse of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II.

He also asserted that the report submitted before the court was made available on May 27, 2003, which was meant for the trial initial trial of two people alleged to have had connections with the death of the Overlord and his elders.

According to him, he had not had any opportunity to conduct further examination on the severed body. Witness also noted that at the Wuako Commission there were problems as to the identity of the severed body he examined, adding that no scientific proof or DNA test was conducted on the severed body.

In his examination-in chief, Dr. Brigadier Wadhwani noted that when he got to the Yendi Government Hospital to determine the causes of death as a result of the Yendi crisis, he met the resident doctor, Dr. Benard Sackey.

At the hospital, witness noted that 28 corpses were tagged and identified with their names, and a headless body with no arms and legs, which was later identified to be that of the late Ya-Na, adding that the cause of death of the latter was as a result of decapitation and amputation, in addition to severe burns that went beyond the skin.

Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II was murdered in March 2002 together with about 30 of his traditional elders during a three-day siege on his Gbewaa Palace in what appeared to be caused by hostilities between the rival Andani and Abudu gates to the chieftaincy dispute. Hearing has been adjourned to today, Oct 14 this year.