Alleged killers of J.B. Danquah Adu, former Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, have finally been provided with a new lawyer.
On November 27, last year, Mr Augustine Obuor, who had represented the suspects over the past few years, withdrew his representation in the case.
MrObuor indicated that he had read and seen many videos of one of the suspects, Daniel Asiedu, aka Sexy Dondon, admitting the crime to the whole world and that it was going to be difficult for him to defend Asiedu.
However, during Thursday’s court sitting, the High Court presided over by Mrs Justice Lydia Osei-Marfo said Mr Yaw Dankwa, a lawyer, had agreed to defend Asiedu and Vincent Bossu, the two suspects.
The High Court judge said, “I have to put on record that Mr Yaw Dankwa has come into this case on behalf of the accused persons because of the court’s intervention.
“I had to plead with him to take up the matter of the accused persons when he appeared before me in another case and he gracefully agreed to do that. This being so, Mr Yaw Dankwa is formally the counsel for the accused persons in this case.”
The Court therefore ordered him to contact the Legal Aid Office in Accra for the disclosure documents which had been in the custody of the previous counsel.
The previous counsel, the court said, would be forwarding them to Legal Aid.
MsSefakorBatsa, a Principal State Attorney, who led the Prosecution, said she had contacted the lawyer who was formerly representing the accused persons in respect of handing over the disclosures to the new counsel who would take over the representation of the accused persons.
According to MsBatsa, MrObuor indicated to her that since he was appointed by the Legal Aid, he would prefer handing over the documents to Legal Aid.
She said MrObuor disclosed that he had been contacted by an officer from Legal Aid who would be coming for the documents.
But before proceeding would end, Asiedu made allegations of being tortured by one of the prison officers.
The Court ordered the prison officers to investigate the matter and adjourned the matter to February 19.
The court held that at the next sitting, the plea of the accused persons would be taken and a jury empanelled.
Asiedu and Bossu are facing a charge of conspiracy.
Asiedu is additionally being held for murder.
The two are believed to be involved in the murder of the legislator in his home at Shiashie, near East Legon, in February 2016.
Accused persons’ pleas have been preserved and they have been remanded in prison custody. GNA
