Court adjourns Mobila's murder case

Tamale, July 7, GNA - A Tamale High Court on Thursday adjourned to August 8, a case in which three soldiers are standing trial for the murder of Alhaji Issah Mobila, former Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP).

The adjournment followed a verbal request by Mr. George Aborgah, the defence counsel, to apply to the court for the case to be transferred to Accra for security reasons.

The court, presided over by Mr Justice George Suureebari, however, requested the defence counsel to submit a formal application for consideration.

The three soldiers, Corporal Yaw Appiah, Private Eric Modzaka and Private Seth Goka who are stationed at the Sixth Battalion of Infantry, Kamina Barracks in Tamale, are charged with conspiracy to murder and causing murder.

A Tamale District Court, presided over by Madam Angelina Mensah-Homia, committed the three soldiers to stand trial when they first appeared before her on June 9.

At the Tamale District Court, the Prosecutor, Mr. Abdul Quddus, Assistant State Attorney, told the court that in the early hours of Thursday December 9, 2004, there was sporadic shooting at Werizhi, a Tamale suburb, where the deceased lived.

He said upon a tip-off that Alhaji Mobila had supplied the arms and ammunition allegedly used by some youth in Tamale to foment trouble in the Metropolis during the aftermath of the December 2004 general election, the Northern Regional Police Command detailed policemen to arrest him at his residence.

The Police however, did not find the deceased at home but saw and followed an ash BMW saloon car with registration number GR 2772 Q belonging to the deceased, heading to a workshop, the prosecutor said. The prosecutor said the Police then conducted a thorough search on the car but nothing incriminating was found whereupon they escorted the vehicle driven by one Abdallah Osman, a mechanic, to the Police Headquarters in Tamale.

On the same day when the late Alhaji Mobila realised that the Police had impounded his car he went to the Northern Regional Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) in the company of one Abdul-Latif Saka-Naa, a friend, to find out why his car had been impounded. The BNI however, handed over Alhaji Mobila to the Northern Regional Police Command who took him to the Police Headquarters where he was detained.

Following allegations that supporters of the deceased were mobilising to rescue him, the Regional Security Council ordered that the suspect should be sent to the Kamina Barracks to be detained there. At about 2130 hrs. that day, the Police received information that the deceased had collapsed and died in military custody.

The body was deposited at the Tamale Teaching Hospital's mortuary and on December 17, 2004, Dr. Kofi Adomako Boateng, Chief Pathologist at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, conducted an autopsy on the deceased. The Pathologist's report showed that Alhaji Mobila had died from "collapse left lung, fractured ribs and severe multiple abrasions", the prosecutor told the court.