Kasoa teenagers murder case: State to produce 6 witnesses

The State is expected to produce six witnesses in the case in which two teenage boys, allegedly murdered a 10-year old boy, at Kasoa, in the Central Region, for ritual purposes, last year.

Senior State Attorney, Nana AdomaOsei, announced this when he addressed the seven-member jury at the commencement of the trial of the teenage boys,at the Accra High Court, on Monday.

She said prosecution would demonstrate that accused, Felix Nyarko and Nicholas Kini, intentionally caused harm to Ismael Mensah Abdallah, by hitting him (Abdallah) with a club of a pickaxe and cement block, leading to his death.

Nana Osei said the post-mortem examination carried out on the body of Abdallah on April 8, 2021, by Chief Superintendent DrOseiOwusuAfriyie, a pathologist, at the Ghana Police Hospital, gave the verbal cause of death as severe head injury, blunt trauma to the head and suspected assault.

Felix Nyarko, who at the time of the offence was 15 years old, and Nicholas Kini, who was 18 years old, have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and murder. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Lawyer for Felix Nyarko, Samuel Atuah, argued that the fact that someone had died, did not mean there has been murder, saying that Nyarkohad no intention of causing any harm that led to the death of Ismael.

Lawyer for Nicolas Kini, Kormivi Dzotsi, told the jury that even though the situation invoked emotions, they had a duty to divorce emotions from what will transpire in court.

He asked the jury to consider the capacity of the accused in view of his age at the time, to appreciate his actions and the consequences granted he had committed the alleged offences.

Presiding judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, asked the jury to focus on the facts and evidence of the case,to return a verdict.

Prosecuting, Nana Osei said Felix was a school drop-out while Nicholas was a first year student at the Royal Majesty Senior High School.

She said Ishmael Abdallah, was a student of Kasoa Maranatha Preparatory School and good friend of Nyarko.

Nana Oseisaid on March 29, 2021, accused consulted a spiritualist for money rituals locally known as “sakawa.”

“The said spiritualist who claimed to be in the Volta Region is said to have requested for GH¢5,000.00 and a human being to perform the rituals,” she said.

Nana Osei said that on April 2, 2021, accused decided to use Ishmael Abdallahfor ‘sakawa’ and lured him (Ishmael Abdallah)to an uncompleted building where Kini had laid ambush with the club of a pickaxe.

According to prosecution, when Ismael arrived, accused struck him with a club and a cement block, leading to his death.

The next hearing was fixed for November 9, this year, for case management conference.

BY NANA BENTSI ODURO