Kasoa Ritual Murder Case: Absentee juror fined GH¢1,200
The Accra High Court has imposed GH¢1,200 fine on an absentee juror, Harry Don Atipo, in the Kasoa teenager’s ritual murder case.
The absence of the juror is said to have held the court to ransom, hence the imposition of fined.
The court, presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, a court of Appeal Judge sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge, said the case was due for summing up and judgement, but because of the absence of Atipo, the matter had been adjourned to Thursday, October 24, 2024.
Atipo is expected to pay the amount before the next adjourned date. However, his colleagues (jurors) agreed to forfeit their sitting and transport allowances.
When the matter was called yesterday, the foreman of the juror, informed the court about the absence of Atipo, who he said was out of the court’s jurisdiction.
According to the foreman, Atipo had promised to be in court on Thursday, October 24, 2024.
The trial judge noted that at the last court sitting, Atipo created the impression he would be available for the next sitting.
“So, he has succeeded in holding all of us to ransom, people take everybody for granted in this country. Mr Atipo did not give any excuse for his absence,” Justice Marfo stressed.
Mr Samuel Atuah, defence counsel for the 18-year-old teenager involve in the case, prayed the court to waive the fine of the juror, because that could prevent Atipo from attending court at the next adjourned date, which could affect the trial.
Reacting, the trial judge said that she was “working according to the law” and warned the jurors over absenteeism.
The accused, 18-year-old and his accomplice, 15-year-old, who allegedly killed 10-year-old Ishamel Abdalla, at Kasoa in the Central Region, for rituals are facing charges of conspiracy and murder.
According to the prosecution, on March 29, 2021, the accused consulted a spiritualist for money rituals locally known as “sakawa.”
The said spiritualist, who claimed to be in the Volta Region, allegedly requested GH¢5,000 and a human being to perform the rituals for money. The prosecution emphasised that the first accused lured the victim into an uncompleted building where the second accused had laid ambush in procession of a club of a pickaxe.
“As soon as the deceased arrived, they told him to remove a video game from a sack they had deposited in a corner of the room. When the deceased bent down in an attempt to remove the said video game from the sack, the second accused struck him at the back of his neck with the club, causing him to fall,” prosecution explained.
The court heard that accused also struck the head of the victim with a cement block and he became unconscious and died.
The prosecution said accused used a spade and a shovel to dig a shallow grave in the room and buried the deceased intending to convey him to the spiritualist. —GNA
