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Murder of 2 policemen: Court rejects psychiatric test on accused

A request for psychiatric examination on Eric Kojo Duah, accused of murdering two policemen at Budumburam, near Kasoa in the Central Region, was turned down by a Kaneshie District court in Accra, yesterday.

The court, presided by Eleanor Botwe said that the accused, who has been charged together with Michael Osafo Arhin for abetment of crime and murder, did not show any signs of psychological imbalance and, therefore, did not need any psychiatric examination.

Mrs Botwe said this when counsel for the accused, George Eshun, asked the court to order psychiatric test to be conducted on his client.

Mr Eshun argued that he knew the accused many years ago, and that it was unusual of the accused to suddenly start shooting indiscriminately.

He said he knew the accused since he was a boy and that he was a very humble boy.

The counsel stated that Duah’s psychiatric problem may have been as a result of the painful demise of his (accused) mother.

Mr Eshun also called for the release of the second accused, saying he (Michael) did not have anything to do with the shooting of the murdered policemen.

He said the second accused was only present in the vehicle of the first accused and that did not warrant him being dragged into the matter.

The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sylvester Asare opposed the application, saying he was surprised at the submission by counsel, arguing that merely shooting allegedly, did not suggest accused was mentally challenged.

On the argument that Mr Arhin was not connected to the crime, ASP Asare said it was premature for counsel to make any such suggestion.

Prosecution stated that the court was not taking evidence and that counsel could make that submission in the course of trial.

The accused have, however, been remanded at the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), and would appear again on November 12, 2019.

The facts of the case, according to prosecution are that the two policemen were killed on August 28, this year, by the accused at Big Apple, near Kasoa, in the Central Region.

He said the deceased, Sergeant Michael Gyamasi and Lance Corporal Awal Mohammed, were members of a taskforce on duty on the Kasoa-Winneba highway.

ASP Asare said the main suspect, Mr Duah, and three other persons onboard an unregistered Toyota Camry, blatantly ignored the signal of the policemen to stop and sped off.

Mr Duah shot and killed the two policemen, who have since been laid to rest.

BY RAISSA SAMBOU                                  

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