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19.05.2016 Headlines

Murder Suspect Steals GH¢20 From Police

By Ghanaian Chronicle
Murder Suspect Steals GH20 From Police
19.05.2016 LISTEN

By Maame Agyeiwaa & Ethel Mensah
An Accra Central Magistrate Court, yesterday, witnessed an interesting panorama, when an investigator accused Vincent Bosso, the second suspect arrested in connection with the murder of the late Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North, of stealing GH¢20 from the police station where he is being held.

The mobile phone dealer, who also goes by the name Junior Agogo and is currently facing a charge of abetment, to wit murder, allegedly stole the money from the counter at the police station when he was being brought to court in the morning.

The investigator (name withheld) confronted him in open court, but Bosso vehemently denied taking the money. A search conducted on him, however, revealed the money concealed inside white paper in his pocket.

He later claimed it was given to him by someone, so without much hesitation, a phone call was made on the spot to verify in order to exonerate him, but nothing concrete came out of the call.

He subsequently confessed in court to the investigator in charge of the alleged murder case that he, indeed, took the money from the police counter.

This whole drama took place when they were waiting for the Presiding Magistrate, Mr. Steven Owusu, to resume proceedings, but it is unclear whether he would be charged with stealing, as the officers are yet to investigate that case.

Vincent Bosso, a mobile phone housing dealer, was first arraigned before the court last week for his alleged involvement in the slain MP's case.

What happened in court today
The Prosecuting Officer, Superintendent Francis Baah, told the court that due to a new development, he would like to withdraw and replace the fact sheet to enable them join the two cases.

This raised a contention between the prosecutor and the defense lawyer, Augustin Obour, but the court upheld for it to be substituted.

The defense lawyer, again, objected that the charge sheet did not contain anything in relation to abetment, and that there was nothing which connected the second accused person, Vincent Bosso, to the murder, therefore, the court should throw the charge away, because it was incompetent.

Superintendent Francis Baah revealed that Vincent Bosso assisted Daniel Asiedu in getting into the house. However, since the investigation is ongoing, he cannot reveal all the information in court.

According to him, Daniel picked a ladder in the house and climbed to the porch on the top floor and entered the bedroom through the window, while the JB Danquah was asleep, while Vincent was keeping watch.

The Presiding Judge ruled that the charge of abetment be maintained, since the fact sheet contained the word “assisted”, which is broad and connects the 2nd accused to the case.

He, therefore, remanded the two accused persons into police custody to reappear on the June 2, 2016.

Facts
The deceased, Joseph Boakye Danquah, was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North constituency in the Eastern Region, and lived with his family in a one-storey building apartment at Shiashie, East Legon.

The accused persons, Daniel Asiedu alias Sexy Dondon and Vincent Bosso alia Jnr. Agoogo, live at Agbogbloshie. On February 8, 2016, at about 11:40p.m., the deceased came home in his private vehicle driven by his driver, Samuel Berko Sarkodie.

The driver, having brought his master home, handed over the ignition keys to him, and left for his house at Kasoa. The deceased then retired to bed in his room located upstairs. At about 1:00a.m., the same night, the accused persons, Daniel Asiedu and Vincent Bosso, who were armed with a catapult, a cutter, and a sharp knife, went to the house of the deceased.

Vincent Bqsso then assisted Asiedu to enter the house of the deceased through the iron fence wall at the blind side of the security man, who was fast asleep.

The 1st accused, after having entered the premises, picked a ladder and climbed to the porch on the top floor and entered the bedroom of the deceased through the window, whilst the deceased was sleeping.

The 1st accused began to search the room. The deceased then got up and held him. The 1st accused resisted, and then stabbed deceased on the right chest, above the breast. The deceased held the knife, and the 1st ‘accused person pulled it through the deceased’s hand creating a

deep cut in his palm.
The deceased, who was bleeding profusely, fell by his bed helpless, and the 1st accused stabbed him severally on the right chest and neck. The 1st accused, realising that the deceased was almost dead, left him and took away his three iPhones.

The struggle that ensued between the deceased and the first accused person drew the attention of the security man, who alerted other security men within the neighbourhood, and they came around. The 2nd accused, realising danger, took to his heels leaving the 1st accused person behind.

The 1st accused, however, managed to descend from the top to the back of the house, climbed one of the poly tanks, jumped over an electrified fence into the adjoining house, and escaped. The security man, who was awoken by the noise of shouts for help, called fellow security men from the neighbourhood, but none of them got close out of fear. They, however, called the police emergency line and informed them.

The police arrived and found the victim was already dead. The body was then conveyed to the Police Hospital mortuary.

On February 15, 2016, an autopsy was performed on the body of the deceased by Dr. Lawrence Edusei, a pathologist from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, who gave the cause of death as Exsanguination and multiple stab injuries, anterial neck and chest.

Investigations led to the arrest of the accused persons, who stated during investigations that their aim for going to the deceased house was steal. The 1st accused further stated that the deceased struggled with him when he entered the room, and that compelled him to use the knife on him. Investigations continue.

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