Ashley Botwe Murder Case: Warrant issued for accused’s arrest
The High Court in Accra on Wednesday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Safina Mohammad, the woman who allegedly killed her Canadian boyfriend at Ashley Botwe in Accra.
The court, presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Margo, a Court of Appeal judge, sitting with additional responsibility as a high court judge, issued the warrant after the accused and her counsel, Samuel Alesu-Dordzi, absented themselves from proceedings.
“We were supposed to have a date with the jury and the lawyers today (October 23) for the trial to commence this morning. Accidentally, the accused person and her lawyers are absent without any reasonable cause. A bench warrant is hereby issued for her arrest,” Justice Margo ordered.
Ms Mohammed, also known as Safina Diamond, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Frank Osei, her boyfriend, and was currently on bail.
In August 2023, the District Court at Adenta in Accra, committed Ms Mohammed to stand trial at the High Court for the murder of Frank Kofi Osei, a Ghanaian resident in Canada, who arrived in Ghana for holidays.
Frank was gruesomely murdered when he visited Safina at Ashaley Botwe School Junction in Accra.
In a virtual proceedings on September 20, 2023, the court granted Ms Mohammad GH¢500,000 bail.
She was also ordered by the court, then presided over by Mrs Justice Mary Maame Ekue Nyanzuh, to report to the Homicide Unit of the Ghana Police Service headquarters every two weeks.
The court adjourned the case to October 13, 2023, when the substantive judge was expected to take Safina’s plea and empanel the jury for the trial to start.
Meanwhile, Safina pleaded not guilty to the murder charge preferred against her by the police at the District Court.
The state is expected to present nine witnesses, including Michael Fiifi Ampofo Arku, who was arrested as an accomplice, but was later released on the recommendation of the Attorney-General.
The case of the prosecution is that on Sunday, July 24, 2022, Osei, who was on vacation in Ghana, visited Safina at Ashaley Botwe School Junction and decided to spend the night with her.
The court heard that at night, Safina, Arku and other accomplices yet to be arrested, allegedly stabbed Osei with a knife and strangled him.
According to the prosecution, Safina and the accomplices allegedly cleaned Osei’s blood from the floor while the body was in the room for 24 hours.
The prosecution said Osei’s body was carried from the first floor of the storey building down the staircase and dumped at the gate of the house where the deceased had parked his Toyota Tundra.
Safina allegedly called the police, claiming that her boyfriend, who visited her, had died in her room.
When the police got there, they found Osei’s body at the gate of Safina’s house and arrested her.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
