Murder of Tema Port Public Affairs Manager: Case adjourned to March 28

The Tema Development Corporation District Court yesterday adjourned to March 28,  the case in which two persons are standing trial for the murder of Mrs Josephine Asante, Marketing and Public Affairs Manager of Tema Port.

 The two suspects are Christian Agyei, a houseboy, and Amos Apeku, driver of the deceased.

The court presided by Madam Akosua Anokyewaa Agyapong, subpoenaed the head of department of the Forensic Science Laboratory of the Ghana Police Service to appear before the court to explain delays in furnishing the court with examination results of samples of the accused.

Police Inspector Beatrice Ayeh, told the court that bodily fluid, fingerprints and footprints of accused had been taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory of the Ghana Police Service for examination, as ordered by the court over a month ago. 

She said the investigator visits the lab almost every day with the hope of securing the results, but it was not yet ready.

Mr Baba Jamal and Isaac Eshun, counsel for Agyei and Apeku, respectively,  expressed surprise that the police were delaying release of report on medical examination  to the court.

The lawyers prayed the court ‘to crack the whip’ to expedite action on the release of report on the medical examination to the court.

Prosecution said on January 12, this year, Mrs Asante attended an end-of-year party, organised by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority at Community 6.

Insp Ayeh said at about 11:30 pm, the driver drove her private Mercedes Benz saloon car and allegedly alighted at Michel Camp bus stop, whilst the deceased continued home and arrived home at about 3am the next day. 

Prosecution told the court that at about 3:30am Kwaku Adutwum-Ameyaw, son of the deceased, was awoken by unusual screaming from his mothers’ room,  and when he went to ascertain what the problem was , he met Agyei in the hall, which was unusual but he (son) went back and slept. 

Insp  Ayeh said Adjei informed Adutwum-Ameyaw that he saw a male adult wearing black shirt and jeans trousers ran out of the house through the main gate.

The court heard that the deceased’s son became frightened and went and slept in the boys’ quarters where the houseboy lived.

Insp   Ayeh said when Agyei and Adutwum-Ameyaw got up in the morning, they realised that as at 8:30am the deceased was not seen. They found out what the problem was but the door was locked.

When the deceased’s son peeped through the window and saw her mother lying in a pool of blood on the floor, he alerted Agyei. 

Insp Ayeh said Adutwum-Ameyaw called Apeku on phone to come, and when Apeku arrived in the house, he was holding the keys to the house, including that of the deceased’s room, claiming he found them at the entrance of the main gate of the house. 

The court heard after the key was used to open the deceased’s room, she was found dead lying in a pool of blood in a supine position. 

Insp   Ayeh said while the police were carrying out investigations at the crime scene, they saw the houseboy bury a consignment wrapped in a polythene bag near the boys’ quarters.

FROM GODFRED BLAY GIBBAH, TEMA